The Legend of Fairy Tail
by Assassin of Shadows
Summary: "Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist... Like them, this place as an eternal mystery... A never ending adventure!" These words embody the spirit of the Fairy Tail Guild, but what happens when a hero from another world crashes into their lives bringing along with him a certain winged companion? Rated T for now but may change to M later.
1. A New World and A New Companion

Before everyone freaks out, No, I am not abandoning **Whom She Found **and yes I am still working on the next chapter. I'm about half done and it's surprisingly frustrating to write. School this past semester really kicked my arse all over and left me with little motivation to do anything with my free time but game or watch TV since those require very little brain activity. Unfortunately that meant my writing invariably took a seat on the back burner despite efforts to do otherwise. Luckily, however, I made it and I am now waiting on the most expensive piece of paper I'll ever buy that will tell the world I'm supposed to be smart and qualified to work in the real world. Yeah…well you know what they say about how things look on paper….

Anyway this was an idea that's been burning in my head ever since I got my wonderful girlfriend hooked on Fairy Tail. It has seriously plagued my thoughts even in my sleep and wouldn't go away until I put it down. So here is my attempt at a Legend of Zelda/Fairy Tail crossover!

Let me know what you guys think!

The Legend of Fairy Tail

Chapter 1

A New Companion and a New Land

xxx

Link sighed and stretched his arms to the sky, a tired but contented grin on his face. His grand adventure in Termina had finally come to an end and after passing through the gate between worlds he once again found himself in the ancient forest he was originally traversing. He chuckled as Epona snorted beneath him at the sudden change in smell that assaulted her nostrils. The young Hylian also took a deep breath inhaling the rich and comforting aroma that only the forest could give off. Having spent his early life growing up amongst the Kokiri, Link felt the most at ease when surrounded by the dense trees. They reminded him of simpler times as a Hylian boy raised as a Kokiri, a child of the forest.

Lowering his arms with a relaxing breath he urged his faithful steed onwards, delving deeper into the woods and resuming his original search for his long lost fairy partner. He didn't fear getting lost even in a forest with a name as disconcerting as the Lost Woods. It had, after all, at one point been part of his home. As the familiar atmosphere swirled around him, Link couldn't help but let his mind wander to his childhood and the years he spent as a Kokiri. He cherished the memories of those years and the experiences he had.

While Link had never quite fit in with the others he would never have guessed the grand destiny that fate had in store for him. He had always been a bit different than the other Kokiri and it hadn't just been because he didn't have a guardian fairy. He was more adventurous, energetic, and curious than the others and was always wandering off and getting into trouble. Not to mention that he was also physically stronger, faster, and more agile than his fellow forest children. All these factors and the fact that he didn't have a fairy meant the others usually treated him distantly. Sure he had friends and did things with the others but he was never fully accepted among them. His best friend, Saria, had been a tremendous blessing for his childhood. She was the only one who accepted him completely and accompanied him almost everywhere.

Another difference that separated him from the others but was much less known was the fact that he had a rather close relationship with the Great Deku Tree. In fact he had spent many evenings with the ancient forest spirit listening to his tales and words of wisdom. The Deku Tree comforted Link when he was down, chastised him when he got in trouble, and praised when he deserved it. He was a true father figure to the future Hero of Time and his death had greatly affected the young Hylian.

While some of those times had been rough Link wouldn't have changed anything, they had made him into the person he was and would become. Those years had laid the foundation for a hero to grow and it was a hero that now had risen to face the evils threatening not one, but two worlds.

One would think that after all the good he had done and sacrifices he had made that the Heavens would grant the now young Hero of Time a small respite or some measure of reward. Perhaps what happened next could be counted as such, although if any were to bear witness to the event they would have called it a curse.

It started when the traveling pair entered an open clearing, a rare but not unusual sight even this deep in the Lost Woods. Rays of sunlight unobstructed by the space in the canopy illuminated the area and fell upon beautiful flowers and plants that hungrily basked in the heavenly nourishment. Butterflies flitted from petal to petal and the air was thick with woodlights and fairyflies, a testament to the magic present in the ancient forest. Link smiled at the sight as memories of countless hours playing amongst the magical lights and glowing insects with the other Kokiri flowed through his mind. He watched idly as a particularly large woodlight floated through the air towards him in a lazy lilting path. The young hero tenderly reached out and let it alight upon his open palm before bring it closer to his face. He gazed fondly at the glowing manifestation of the forest before gently blowing it back into the air. His grin widened in amusement as the woodlight collided with another and both burst into several smaller ones that spread out on their own paths.

"EEK!"

A sudden scream jolted Link from his reverie and he snapped his head to the far side of the clearing where he saw a large ball of light wildly jerking about in midair. He blinked in surprise as he instantly recognized the light for what it was: a fairy. Even from the distance he could tell that it wasn't Navi but that thought barely crossed his mind as he hurriedly made his way over to the distressed forest sprite. As he got closer he discovered the cause of her frenzied state. She was trapped, wrapped tightly and bound by the sticky threads of a spider's web. Link watched her struggles as she approached. Her exertions only made her situation worse as she tangled herself further with each frantic pull. Her arms, legs, and gossamer wings were bound completely making escape impossible. Nevertheless she fought and Link couldn't help but admire her tenacity.

As he drew closer he soon spied a small Skulltula, the reason for the fairies dilemma, crawling its way towards its helpless victim and clacking its mandibles loudly. Link clicked his tongue in disgust. Skulltulas were one of the few forest creatures that would actively feed on fairies. As creatures deeply connected to the forest, fairies were well respected by its other inhabitants and only the darker monsters dared to attack them. Skulltulas were among the latter. The poor fairy soon became aware of the approaching monster and with another terrified scream she redoubled her efforts to break free.

With a scowl Link immediately drew his bow and killed the creature with a shot straight between the eyes of its patterned abdomen. The fairy let out a startled gasp in surprise at the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been staring fearfully into the jaws of death when suddenly those same clacking jaws disappeared from her sight as Link's arrow knocked the monster from its web. She turned her head in confusion and her eyes widened at the sight of her saviour coming approaching on a horse. She was too surprised to think clearly although she idly recognized the figures garb as that of a Kokiri, though the presence of weapons on him indicated otherwise. She continued to stare speechless as the boy dismounted and walked up to her, his height making him perfectly eyelevel with her.

"Are you alright?" He asked kindly, his piercing blue eyes full of concern.

"I…uh…umm…y-yes…I-I think so," the young fairy stammered in reply.

"Good, I'm glad," Link smiled warmly in relief causing the fairy to blush at the tenderness in his voice and expression. "Here, let me help you."

He reached forwards with one hand to cradle her body while using the other to carefully snap the threads around her with deft fingers. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to remove her from the entanglement. He then held the fairy at chest height to examine her. Despite being free from the web itself she was still covered in its threads. One of her arms was stuck to her side and her left leg was bent at the knee with her ankle bound to her other leg, not to mention the threads that tightly wound around the rest of her body and wings. Link doubted she would ever be able free herself in such a state and he couldn't just start pulling the stuff off or he might hurt her. With a heavy sigh he reached into his item pouch and withdrew his waterskin.

"Sorry about this," he said as he removed the cap with his teeth.

The fairy blinked at him. "Wait…what are you do-AARGH!" she shouted as he dowsed her with water. It may only have been a drizzle by normal standards but it was a torrent for her and it was COLD! Unfortunately bound as she was she could do nothing but take it. As soon as he was finished she shook herself off as best she could before glaring daggers at Link who grinned sheepishly. He replaced the cap on his waterskin before reaching forward to pinch some of the silk around her legs and began to pull it off. While the water couldn't dissolve the spider's threads it did help to loosen their hold on the poor fairy. He worked slowly and carefully, mindful not to injure the sprite, and soon had her free of most of the offending stuff. As soon as she was able the fairy rose to her feet and began trying to wring the water out of her dress.

"Was that really necessary?!" the fairy whined.

"Would you rather I tried ripping that stuff off without it?" Link chuckled lightly and watched as she tried pulling on some web that was still stuck to her elbow.

"I suppose not," She sighed in response when she finally managed to remove the sticky gunk. The fairy then proceeded to try getting the last of the stuff out of her hair and it was then that Link took the opportunity to get a good look at her. Despite her size she had a willowy figure with long slender legs over which she wore a form fitting thigh high magenta dress with straps that fell around her shoulders leaving the tops and her arms bare. Like all fairies she was barefoot. Her auburn hair was short, only reaching to her neck, but suited her very well. Like him she had long pointed ears but unlike him her eyes were bright green. Topping off her appearance was a coiled armlet on right bicep, a beaded bracelet on her right wrist, a similarly beaded necklace, and a pair of earrings in her right ear, all of which matched her eyes perfectly. The fairy would have been considered absolutely beautiful by anyone's standards.

He watched as she finally managed to rid her hair of the sticky thread and then began flapping her wings rapidly in an effort to dry them, as they were she wouldn't be going anywhere for a few minutes.

"Here," Link offered. "Maybe this will help." He raised a finger and with a touch of magic produced a small flame at its tip which he lowered towards her. While he had never been nearly as gifted in the magical arts as Zelda he could easily manage something like that.

"Oh, thank you!" She smiled happily and put her hands towards the flame to warm herself.

"No problem," Link chuckled. "Least I could do after getting you all wet like that."

"Mmmm…" the fairy hummed but didn't reply. After a moment she stood back and let Link dissipate the fair before turning fully to him. She clasped her hands in front and bowed low to him.

"Thank you very much for saving me!"

"My pleasure," Link smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Spryte," the fairy replied standing up straight and moving her hands behind her back.

"Nice to meet you, Spryte. I'm Link."

"Link? That sounds kinda familiar. Are you a Kokiri?" Spryte asked curiously, rocking back and forth on her heels. "You look like one but no Kokiri I've heard carries weapons like you do."

At her words Link's smile turned sad yet still maintained a soft warmth.

"No," he replied. "I'm not, but I was raised as one."

Spryte blinked at his response. "You were…raised as a Kokiri?" She tilted her head to the side in thought. "But the only one like that I know of was…" She trailed off and her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "Are you the Hero the Great Deku Tree Sprout spoke of?!"

Link laughed sheepishly at her reaction and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…that's me."

Spryte immediately gasped and snapped her hands to her mouth in shock. Her wings beat furiously, lifting her off his hand and she began flitting about his face excitedly.

"Oh I can't believe it! All the fairies in the forest know about you! And you show up just in time to save me? Wow!"

Link couldn't help but laugh at her antics. He liked her; she was energetic, playful, and spunky.

"I'm just glad I was passing through, you're pretty lucky you know," the young hero replied.

"Don't I know it," Spryte sighed heavily. "What are you doing this deep in the Lost Woods? No Kokiri ever comes this far."

"I…" Link hesitated. "I was looking for my friend. A fairy like you, Navi."

"Oh," Spryte's face suddenly fell. "I suppose you wouldn't know…"

"Wouldn't know what?" Link asked in alarm. "Have you met her? Do you know where she is?"

The young fairy winced at his sudden change in tone but she answered uneasily.

"I...I have never met her personally, but like you all fairies know of her. When you're journey was complete she was called back to the forest. She couldn't have stayed with you even if she wanted to. She was lauded as a hero upon her return and she was given a reward for her accomplishments."

"A reward?"

Spryte nodded. "You might not know this but fairies who accomplish great deeds are given the blessing to grow and become Great Fairies. When this happens they leave in order to create a Fairy Fountain to house them while they grow into their new bodies and powers. For some this can happen very quickly but for others it can take years. Navi was the last fairy to receive this blessing."

Link was stunned. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He just couldn't believe it; all his searching had been for naught. Navi was beyond his reach. Great Fairy Fountains were well hidden and could be located anywhere in the land and there was a chance that her transformation wasn't even complete yet. Even if he somehow managed to find her he knew that she could never be with him again, her duties as a Great Fairy prevented that. The Hero of Time simply lowered his head dejectedly, tears welling up in his eyes.

Spryte flew down and rested a hand comfortingly on his head. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"It's…it's alright…" He choked out before falling silent again. Spryte let him have his moment to gather his thoughts and grieve. After a few minutes he slowly lifted his head back to her and smiled. "Thank you for telling me this. It hurts that I'll probably never see her again but…at least I know she's well. Thank you."

Once again Spryte flushed at his warm smile and watched him turn back to his horse and mount her. She casually fluttered over to him and hovered in front of his face.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked.

He didn't respond right away but after a moment he sighed. "I don't know...my life up until this point has been one big journey after another. Now that this one is over…I'm at a loss."

"Well," Spryte giggled mischievously. She crossed her arms behind her back and bent towards him. "If you're unsure do you think I could-?"

Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a sudden crack of thunder overhead. Startled, the pair looked to the sky through the clearing, shock appearing on their faces from what they saw. Dark clouds had suddenly begun swirling above conjoining into a black hole directly overhead. Heavy wind began rocking the canopy of the trees and could be felt even down to the ground. As the clouds thickened flashes of lightning emanated from the swirling hole, growing larger and more intense with each passing moment.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Spryte shouted in alarm and darted closer to Link to avoid the wind. The young Hero himself raised an arm overhead to stare at the anomaly as the wind picked up even more. The lightning increased in frequency and intensity until suddenly a wide column of light burst from the hole and fell upon the area around them. The wind instantly grew to a hurricane force gale that swirled within the column of light.

"KYAA!" Spryte screamed holding on to Link's shirt tunic for dear life as the wind threated to blow her away.

"Spryte!" Link shouted in fear when he saw her losing her grip. Try as she might she was not strong enough to hold on and the fabric of his tunic slowly began slipping from her fingers. A sudden violent shake wrenched one of her hands free and left her dangling by what little strength she had in her other. Just as she was about to be blown away, Link acted. With the lightning fast speed and reflexes of a warrior built in battle Link whipped his arm out and caught the hapless fairy in one of his empty bottles. He quickly capped it off before clutching it tightly to his chest.

The wind continued to pick up and he squeezed his eyes shut from the intensity. Beneath him Epona snorted and whinnied fearfully but remained in place like the steadfast steed that she was. Rocks, dirt, and twigs started lifting from the ground, carried up into the dark void in the sky. The malevolent vortex soon gained enough power to lift both Link and Epona from the ground. The panicked cries of the young hero and his horse were muffled by the howling storm as the wind carried them around and up towards its foreboding epicenter.

Just as they were about to be pulled into the black void, a golden glow emanating from his left hand wrapped around Link. The young Hylian gazed in shock as the symbol of the Triforce burned brightly on the back of his hand. The frantic cry of his beloved horse caused his attention to snap towards the poor creature as she flew passed him. With a desperate cry he reached out and managed to snag her mane. As he did so the golden light enveloped her as well, slowing their pace but not halting it. Just as they were pulled into the dark void a brilliant flash of golden light dispersed the storm almost as quickly as it came. The light shone in the air like a brilliant star even brighter than the sun before suddenly receding into itself and winking out of existence leaving nothing in its trace.

With that light, Link, the Hero of Time and bearer of the Triforce of Courage, vanished from Hyrule.

xxx

_Magnolia, Earthland X778_

"I'll kill you, you tin can wearing floozy!"

"I'll make you beg for mercy, you bare-stomached bimbo!"

The mages of Fairy Tail watched with trepidation as the two strongest female members of the guild butted heads. It was a fairly regular occurrence for the guild known for its rambunctious and over-the –top members. The two girls fought just as much if not more than Natsu and Grey and THAT was saying something. The only difference was that while Erza always broke up the fights between the boys, no one dared do the same for her and Mirajane. There was some unwritten law of the universe that prevented men from breaking up a catfight and there weren't any female members strong enough to try. The few times that Natsu had tried ended with him being knocked through the wall or roof. As such the two were usually left alone until something happened to interrupt their fight or the Master himself intervened.

"Red-haired slut!"

"Old hag!"

"Tramp!"

"Wench!"

The two young women traded blows endlessly, pulling hair, and throwing insults with abandon. Though there was very little actual skill involved, a sharp contrast to a legitimate wizards duel, it was nonetheless a vicious and brutal brawl with no rules whatsoever. They fought for several minutes longer before they suddenly broke apart; Erza summoned a sword with her Requip magic while a dark magic circle appeared over Mira's head. Panic spread throughout the guild as the two powerful girls prepared to clash when suddenly something crashed through the roof and cratered the floor between them.

All movement in the guild ceased as people coughed and tried waving away the dust that was kicked up by the impact.

"What was that?!" Someone yelled through the haze.

Confusion was etched on the faces of everyone as they waited for the dust to settle. Erza and Mira were the most surprised of all since the sudden interruption had quite literally broken up the fight between them. As the air cleared they approached the crash cautiously and gasped in surprise at what they saw. A young boy clad in a green with a long floppy hat and a sword and shield strapped to his back lay unconscious in the middle of the small hole. His long pointed ears were easily visible through his golden blonde hair.

"It's a boy!" Mira exclaimed loudly shocking the other members of the guild.

"A boy?"

"Where did he come from?"

"What's going on?"

These and many other questions echoed around the hall until a low groan pierced through the noise and silenced everyone. All eyes immediately turned to the mysterious boy who struggled to sit up. Erza immediately raised her sword and ready in case the intruder was hostile. She watched carefully as the boy sat up and rubbed his head before slowly opening his eyes. She was the first thing he saw and she blinked in surprise at his eyes. They were a deep and piercing blue, sharper than any eyes she had seen before. Though there was confusion in them she also saw something else; something familiar…a hardness that indicated strength, experience, and danger. The sight made her unconsciously tighten her grip on her sword, an action which did not go unnoticed by the boy who narrowed his eyes in response before suddenly lunging forward with a loud cry.

In one swift leap he had closed the distance between them while smoothly drawing both sword and shield. Erza barely had time to respond before she was forced to raise her blade to block the lightning fast strike of the strange boy's weapon. The power behind the strike surprised her but she wasn't one of the strongest female mages of Fairy Tail for nothing and she easily held her ground. The stalemate lasted for a second before Erza pushed his blade aside and tried to counter. The green clad boy swiftly dodged the blow and struck again. A furious exchange of blow followed with neither the boy nor Erza gaining the advantage. They struck, dodged, blocked, blocked, countered and parried one another in a wild dance of blades.

Erza blocked again then swung her sword in a wide horizontal slash which the boy rolled away from and around her back. She gasped in surprise and quickly Requipped another blade which she swung over her shoulder behind her back just in time to stop the boys counter. The boy looked surprised at the sudden display of magic and Erza took full advantage of the momentary pause to attack again with both weapons in hand.

A cry of dismay left the boy as he struggled to stave off the redhead's furious assault. He managed to block all of her strikes but her powerful blows numbed his arms and he was slowly being pushed back. Erza smirked as she realized her advantage and pressed on, striking with increasing ferocity. Finally she swung both swords up with enough power to break through his guard and cause him to stumble. In a single fluid motion she continued her movement into a tight spin Requipping out both swords for a polearm which she swung to strike the boy. She hit him in the stomach with the shaft of her weapon and sent him crashing into the far wall.

For a moment all movement stopped as everyone watched the boy drop to the ground with a groan. Erza relaxed her stance, placing one hand on her hip with a smirk of triumph. That smirk however turned into a frown when she saw the boy rise to his feet again and glare at her with determined eyes. She readied herself once more as the boy lunged forward again.

"**ENOUGH!"**

A commanding voice bellowed as a gigantic fist smashed between them. All eyes turned to see the angry face of the Guild Master Makarov glaring at them all, his magically enlarged arm separating the strange boy from Erza. He locked eyes with the young boy who returned his gaze with an unwavering determination that mildly impressed the Guild Master. The stare down continued for several tense seconds before, to everyone's surprise, the boys sword suddenly dropped from his hands with a loud clang and he fell to the floor unconscious; a pool a blood slowly spreading from his body.

"He's hurt!" the gentle voice of Lisanna, Mirajane's younger sister, exclaimed.

Everyone gasped and crowded around the boy while Erza blinked in surprise.

"_He was hurt?" _She thought to herself.

"LINK!"

A new voice cried out and everyone looked up to see a glowing ball of light zip through the hole in the roof towards the boy.

"OH NO!" She screamed when she saw the blood. "Hold on, Link! You'll be ok!"

She then turned to face the people around them and frantically pleaded. "Please! You have to help him!"

For a second no one moved, too surprised by the sudden presence of the tiny flying women.

"Umm…excuse me miss…" Natsu, the bluntest person present, broke the silence. "But are you some kind of bug?"

"What!" the little women suddenly glowed red with rage. "I'm not a bug! I'm a fairy!"

Dead silence fell around the guild.

.

.

.

.

.

"**WHAAAAAT?!"**

xxx

A/N:

Yay! First chapter of my brand new story done! In case you haven't figured it out this fic takes place directly after Majora's Mask and features a young Link arriving several years before canon Fairy Tail. About two years before Erza becomes an S class wizard in fact. I have a lot of plans for this story and unlike Whom She Found the pairing in this fic is set. It's going to be a Link x Erza fic with a little flirtation on the side. Come on, Erza is freaking AWESOME and Link is freaking AWESOME. Put them together and you get _(word has removed this segment due to the risk of your brain exploding due to overexposure of AWESOME)_!

Link is going to be strong but he won't be such right away and yes he's going to develop Earthland magic. I have much planned. Like I said this was burning a hole in my head for weeks and I've already worked out the backbone of this fic all the way to the Edolas Arc in my head. Details still need to be hammered out and things might change as I go, but as it is I have big plans laid out. I hope this story attracts some readers and I hope you guys will enjoy what I have planned for how Link's presence will affect the Fairy Tail world.

On another note: Hey! It's Spryte! The original non-canon fairy guardian! Hahaha! Who picked that up? For those of you who are curious I took Spryte's character design from the Zeldanime project, an absolutely freaking amazing online comic that blows my mind. It takes the original Zelda cartoon and turns it into an awesome comic of awesome. I highly suggest it and yes, Spryte is a character in it although she's much hotter than she was in the cartoon. A link to the gallery where her picture is can be found in my profile.

Sooo….What do you guys think? Huh? Tell me please! I live for reviews!


	2. Recovery

Holy crap! I was not expecting to get such a positive response with chapter 1! Thank you so very much! You guys blow my mind with your reception!

Alright! I'm all fired up! Here we go with chapter two! This was fun to write though it took me awhile cause I was constantly revising what I wrote. New ideas and all that jazz.

Anyway in **Whom She Found **I got into the habit of replying to reviews before each chapter. I'm not sure if I want to do that with this fic cause it looks like I'm gonna get a few more reviews per chapter than my other fic. I'll do it this time and maybe the next one but unless you guys really want me to I might stop. Don't take it as me being ungrateful, I love each review I get, but it might get a little overwhelming and wordy in the future.

So for now:

**To:**

**Mzr90: **Yay! First review! Thank you! I'm sorry if you don't like the pairing but she's my favourite character and I really wanted to write it. I hope you won't hold it against me.

**Oowoon: **Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!

**Fuzzyjacket: **Thanks!

**Wraith54: **Hi! Glad to see I've perked your interest with this story as well! I'm gonna try and write more over the summer. I have more time right now, but we'll see how things go. I really hope you like what I have planned for this!

**FierceLink: **Thanks! Will do!

**Vxgpako: **I love that pairing too! Which is why I'm doing it! And there is definitely going to be some tension between them and Mira of course. Link is after all an established lady killer XD. And Ocarina of Time Link is my favourite and I'm super excited to throw him against Earthland and see how the world reacts to the Hero of Time!

**Streetsurfer95: **Yeah I wanted to have young Link grow up with the rest of them. Makes things more interesting and builds better, more realistic connections than if he just kinda showed up like Lucy in canon, at least for him.

**Kratos Pendragon:** Yay! Glad you love it! Hope you love the rest as well!

**Piperboyy: **Hahaha hope I live up to your expectations

**Ziden115: **As you wish sir! All my skill will be on display!

**OniHelix: **Hooray for the awesome use of an original word! Shhhhh spoilers! Actually might take you up on that outfit design.

**Guest: **Nope. Not in this story. He needs to talk.

**Undertaker5: **So it's basically a perfect match of all your favourites? Excellent! I hope I can satisfy your expectations!

**JustAPerson: **Why hello there! I have returned once more! Wish I could have seen your face! Thank you very much for your opinions and review! I'm glad I was able to live up to the standards you have come to expect from me. You're reviews are always wonderfully appreciated and I hope you don't lose too much sleep.

**JohnTitor: **Hey! Good luck with yours and I plan on doing faster updates since I have some time now. Oh and steed is a general term for all ridden horses but is most often used to describe particularly spirited or war horses. Technically steed is derived from the word 'stud' which is a male horse but it has come to be considered a gender-neutral term. Actually steed could be used to refer to any animal used as a mount :-P. I grew up on a cattle ranch that had horses so I do know a thing or two even if it's not nearly as much as my sister…..

**XGamer7: **Thanks! Hope you like it! Link's injuries were caused by the crash, not the portal itself.

**Soren180: **Hahaha yeah…I know that feeling…I'm sorry I caused you to go through that. I was wondering why I felt a much greater desire to put this out than usual. Must have been you. And no, I am definitely not the 7th son of a 7th son…not even sure I know the significance of that…

**Cj1of4: **Haha yeah I first pictured Spryte popping up in their midst and it made me giggle so…voila…I'm gonna try and maintain both stories but we'll see how things go. And if you think THAT'S a scary thought just wait till you see what I have planned in the far future! MUAHAHAHAHA!

**EnduringFlames: **Thank you very much! Hope you like it!

**Libby8980: **Thanks!

**Schniedragon88: **Yes! Snagged you! I win! And don't worry I have no intention whatsoever of letting Whom She Found die out.

**Guest: **Thanks!

**Guest: **Thanks to you as well!

**DarkKnuckle: **Hehee I hope you like it!

**Guest: **Glad you like the quality. I'm afraid however that the pairing is set on this one. I really like Erza, whether she is overdone or not, and so I want them to be together. I think they suit each other well and I hate Jellal sooooo…..yeah…..

**Proverbsrus: **Heh, sorry about the cliffhanger. Hope this makes up for it.

**Bloodwolf432: **I hope it keeps your interest and it's after Majora's Mask but I won't say anymore than that.

**Metalgearray1: **Hope you like where it goes!

Alright that's everyone who left a review! I'll respond to PM's later. For now I just have one more thing to say.

I don't know as much about Fairy Tail as I do Zelda and Fire Emblem and as of right now I've only seen up to the Tenrou Island Arc in the anime so if I miss some things here and there or I don't accurately portray a character's personality all the time I apologize and ask that you have some patience with me. I promise I will try my best to write a good fic!

The Legend of Fairy Tail

Chapter 2:

Recovery

xxx

_Moments earlier…_

A bright flash of golden light burst into existence over the city of Magnolia, disappearing almost as quickly as it had come. From the center of the light a figure clad in green appeared and plummeted towards the ground below.

Link felt the wind rush by him and knew that he was falling but he was barely conscious enough to recognize his plight let alone do anything about it. Even so he maintained his death hold on the bottle clutched tightly to his chest refusing even subconsciously to let it go. The small fairy sheltered within could only watch helplessly as they fell through the sky.

As the young Hero's consciousness faded further his grip on the bottle slowly relaxed until both arms were extended outwards and only one hand was maintaining its hold on the item. Spryte could see his face now and panicked fear gripped her heart when she recognized his lack of awareness. No! He was going to die!

Tiny fists pounded on the glass with all their might and she screamed his name repeatedly but to no avail. She was powerless to do anything. Tears poured from her eyes as she gazed at the rapidly approaching land below. Somehow that black void had taken them somewhere but to where exactly she did not know. All she knew was that they were no longer were they within the borders of the forest. In fact they were falling towards a city of some sort. There were forested mountains around the city as well as many trees within and it was built around a river that flowed out into the ocean. She didn't know much more that that since she had never been outside the Lost Woods before and had never even seen a human town let alone a city.

Her breath hitched in her throat as the ground grew closer and closer with each passing second. She noted that they were headed towards the roof of a very large building at the far end of the city. She cursed their luck. A few degrees over and they would have crashed into the ocean bay. There would have been a chance of survival then. Alas fate was truly working against them this day…

The ground drew closer and terror welled up inside the poor fairy causing her to completely stop breathing. A final scream left her lips Link crashed into and threw the roof of the building. Upon impact the bottle flew from his grip to land on the ground outside the building and bounce along the cobblestone road. Surprisingly the bottle didn't shatter on impact and the fairy inside felt very little force from hard bouncing around so much. It must have had some magic properties to protect it and whatever it contained. However, even with this protection it didn't save her from getting ridiculously dizzy.

When the bottle finally rolled to a halt Spryte lay in a dishevelled mess, her eyes swirling as the world around her continued spinning. It took several moments before she could sit up and several more before she was able to stand. When she finally managed to shake her senses back together her thoughts immediately turned to Link. Was he alive? Did he survive the fall?

She could see the building and the hole he had fallen through but nothing else to indicate anything otherwise. She had to get out and find him! She turned her attention to the cork that plugged the bottle and immediately rushed over and tried to push it out. She could tell that Link hadn't been able to push the wooden plug fully into the bottle but even so it refused to budge. She grunted and strained against the wooden barrier, shoving with all her might, flapping her wings and even body checking it, but it held fast. She felt panic well up in her chest again and more tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

She HAD to get out! Link had saved her not once now, but TWICE! She needed to get to him, NOW! She heaved again, slamming her back into the cork and pushing with everything she had.

_*POP*_

The cork suddenly gave way and launched out of the bottle. Spryte cried out in surprise as the sudden lack of resistance shot her out of the bottle with it. She tumbled through air a few times before managing to right herself. Finally free from the crystalline prison she took a few quick seconds to catch her breath before zooming towards the hole in the roof.

She could hear some sort of commotion from the within and arrived at the hole just in time to see Link collapse.

"LINK!" she screamed and darted through the hole.

She ignored the people around her and hovered over the prone form of the Hero of Time. She gasped as she saw the blood leaking from his injured body.

"OH NO!" She darted down to his face and flitted about frantically. "Hold on, Link! You'll be ok!"

She didn't know what to do. There was no way she could carry him and she needed help in order to treat his injuries. She then turned to face the people around them. Surely these people would help!

"Please! You have to help him!" She begged.

They didn't respond to her right away and for a moment she was afraid that they didn't understand her.

Finally a young boy with pink hair and a white, scaly scarf spoke up.

"Umm…excuse me miss…" He said with a confused voice. "But are you some kind of bug?"

"What!" Spryte immediately roared, temporarily forgetting her dilemma. A bug?! Really?! Had these people never heard of a fairy before? Why she had never been so insulted in all her life!

"I'm not a bug!" She yelled, glowing red with anger. "I'm a fairy!"

A look of dead shock fell on the faces of everyone around her. Some people let their jaws drop to gape at her like fish.

"**WHAAAAAT?!"**

The people suddenly cried out, startling the fairy, and actually knocking her back a bit by the force of the exclamation.

"You're a fairy?!" Someone shouted though she didn't notice exactly who through the commotion.

"Do you have a tail?!"

"Where did you come from?!"

"What's your name?"

"What kind of magic do you use?"

Spryte faltered. The intensity of their stares and the scrutiny of their questions alarmed her. Panic erupted through her body but before she could escape a sudden pulse of magic silenced everyone and Spryte turned to see a VERY large and frightening man raise himself over the crowd.

"**WOULD YOU FOOLS QUIET DOWN!" **the giant roared. "**Can't you see this boy needs help? This is no time for your nonsense!"**

Spryte gasped, having momentarily forgotten about Link, and turned back to the still bleeding boy. "Someone please lift him up for me! I need to know where his injuries are!"

The pink haired boy that had insulted her earlier and a blue haired boy beside him, whom for whatever reason was only wearing his boxers, stepped forward and quickly draped each of his arms over one of their shoulders and lifted him up. As soon as they did this Spryte darted back and forth frantically inspecting his body to try and find all his injuries. Her discoveries made her take a sharp intake of breath. His injuries were terrible! He had several gashes and cuts hidden beneath his tunic that oozed blood freely and bruises had started to form on his arms and legs. Blood flowed from somewhere on his head and she could sense several broken ribs as well as a few fractures in various places. She was amazed he had even been able to regain consciousness let alone stand long enough to collapse again. By all rights he should be dead!

"Oh no…" Spryte whispered sombrely. "This is bad…I can't heal all of this…"

Perhaps if she had the power of a Great Fairy she could do more but as she was now the young fairy wasn't strong enough to fix everything. But that wasn't going to stop her from trying! With a deep breath she flew back a bit and began to focus her power. Her wings began to glow with a faint pink light and drop specks of glittering pink dusts as they flapped. She then darted forward and flew in a fast spiral around Link. Her glittering wings created a gentle breeze around him and left a trail of pink fairy dust in their wake.

The mages of Fairy Tail watched in amazement as the wounds on the boy began to heal right before their eyes. They continued to stare while the fairy flew faster and faster, generating more light with each pass.

"It's…warm…" Gray blinked in surprise, being close enough to feel the fairy's wind.

"It feels…nice," Natsu grinned widely despite the situation.

Spryte eventually pulled away from her task and hovered, exhausted, before them. She had tried her best but she had only been able to deal with the immediately life threatening injuries before she had run out of power.

"That's all I can do for him…" She panted sadly.

"A curious ability, my dear," the giant that had quelled the noise before had now turned into a tiny man who walked forward with an air of authority. "Might I ask who you are?"

"My name is Spryte and the boy there is Link," the fae replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Spryte. I am Makarov, the Guild Master to this bunch of hooligans," he bowed his head to her. "Now then, while I have many questions for you and I'm sure you do for us as well, now is not the time to be asking them. This boy needs medical attention, yes?"

"Yes he does," Spryte smiled weakly at him. "Thank you, Mr. Makarov."

"Think nothing of it little one," Makarov smiled before turning to the others around them. "Let's take him to Porlyusica."

xxx

_Link…_

A strange, echoing, melodious voice drifted over his ears, barely registering in his haze filled mind.

_Link…_

There it was again. He stirred and tried to open his eyes but the result could barely pass for a weak squint. He floated in a dark void without feeling, as if riding the waves between a dream and reality. It was neither cold nor hot, neither light nor dark, no up or down; it simply was. How such a place could exist would have no doubt left anyone panicked and confused but in his semiconscious state Link barely registered any of these facts.

_Link…_

Again the voice echoed around him. He slowly turned his head to stare upwards in the direction of the voice and beheld a glorious sight. Three golden figures descended towards him in a slow spiralling circle perfectly spaced apart. He could not make out any of their features for they burned far brighter than the sun, yet did not hurt his eyes. The glowing outline of their bodies suggested they were female which was reinforced by their long wavy hair, the only difference he could make out between them. One of them had hair that burned a glorious ruby red, another's a sparkling sapphire blue, and the last a rich emerald green. The golden light blazing from their bodies had a soft aura around each of them that matched the color of their hair.

The three divines, for they could be nothing else, glided towards him with otherworldly grace until they formed a small triangle around him. Now that they were closer he could tell that they were definitely female though they wore no clothes, having no need since their radiant light obscured their features. Their celestial glow slowly diminished until the details of their faces could be seen.

They were impossibly beautiful. With eyes that matched their hair, their faces were so perfect that no mortal artisan of any craft could ever hope to recreate them. Such was their beauty and glory that anyone who beheld them with full possession of their faculties would be lost forever.

The one with green hair gently drifted over, a smile full of tender love directed to him.

_Ah dear Hero…_

Her voice was breathtaking, easily matching her divine beauty, and full of power, authority, compassion, and love all at once. One could listen to her voice till their bodies turned to dust and never notice the passing of time.

_You've sacrificed so much and given to so many with no thought to reward of your own even to a land not your own. You are indeed worthy to be called my champion…_

The goddess with the blue hair spoke next.

_If any in this world was worthy of our power it would have been you…but alas that can no longer be…_

The red haired goddess then continued.

_Your journey is not over, young warrior, but you shall not return. Your struggles in this world are complete. A new world has need of you now…_

A sudden glow began emanating from his left hand and Link was barely aware of seeing the shape of the Triforce of Courage lifting away from him. He watched as the golden triangle floated towards the green haired goddess before suddenly vanishing in flash of light. The goddess gave him a sad look that wrenched Link's heart at the sight. Such a look should never be worn by one such as her.

_The piece you bear cannot go with you, my child, it belongs in this realm…and we have little influence where you are going…_

Then her sad look returned to that tender smile that filled Link's very soul with joy.

_But fear not…for you go with our blessing…_

The red haired goddess spoke next.

_We will give you strength…_

The blue haired one.

_We will be your guides…_

Returning once more to the green goddess.

_We will be with you always…_

As one the each extended a hand and placed it over his left. A rush of divine power flooded his body and assaulted his senses. There was no pain but his body felt like it would burst. He felt their power, their love, their tender compassion, joy, sadness, serenity, and a myriad of other emotions that only a divine being could feel. How long this lasted he did not know but when they removed their hands they revealed the mark of the Triforce once again burned onto his skin.

_Our gifts to you, dear Hero…We cannot give you the fullness of our essence for that was to be done only once, but we give you what we can and we know you will use it well…_

The green haired goddess then drifted closer, reaching down to cup his face with her gentle hands. With all the loving tenderness of a celestial mother she placed her lips upon his, filling him once more with her glorious presence.

_May you find happiness…_

xxx

Link gasped and bolted upright, snapping open his eyes. His vision was blurred and he had to blink a few times to focus and raise his hand to ward against the offending sunlight that filtered through a window.

He tried to remember the details of his dream, a dream so real that he unsure if it was one. He desperately grasped at the images in his mind but failed to hold them as they slowly faded into oblivion. Try as he might he could recall nothing. He glanced down at his left hand, the fresh mark of the Triforce the only evidence of the vision he witnessed and blinked in confusion at it as if unsure where it had come from, which was true now that his memory had faded away. A sudden wave of pain jolted him from his thoughts. He gasped and pitched forward while his eyes began to water.

He clenched his teeth and waited for the pain to subside before wiping away the water in his eyes once it had. As his vision cleared his nose inhaled the sweet and familiar scent of the forest. This helped put his confused mind at ease though he noticed something…different…about the smell than he was used to. He couldn't quite put his finger on what but he knew that something was not right. Nevertheless, he was still in a forest so that was a good sign. He looked around and discovered he was lying in a bed next to a window. The room he was in was furnished with several wooden crates in the corners, a large bookshelf to the right and a smaller one on the opposite left. There was a table covered in various herbs, beakers, and other alchemic type objects directly across from him and there were various flowers, plants, and herbs littered throughout the room. Although some of the items were strange he instantly recognized that the room he was in was inside a tree. Just like what the Kokiri lived in. Was he perhaps in a Kokiri home?

He tried to move but a jolt of pain throughout his body stopped him and caused him to wince.

"_Ugh…what happened?" _He thought to himself. _"Last thing I remember was…"_

He tried to recall his last memories before he blacked out. He immediately remembered the storm, being sucked into the air, then a vague feeling of falling before crashing into something. Then he remembered pain. A LOT of pain. It was so great that it took everything he had just to sit up. He then remembered seeing someone. A red head. A girl, he recalled, wearing armour and holding a sword. She had glared at him and taken an offensive posture, something even his pain filled mind registered. Had he been more lucid perhaps a different course of action would have happened but as it was he had been confused and in a great deal of hurt; therefore, seeing a potential threat before him had made his battle honed instincts for survival take hold. He had attacked.

He only vaguely remembered the details of the fight but one thing stood clear in his mind: the girl was strong. They had been even for a while but then she had done something…summoned a sword from the air…and caught him completely off guard. He remembered her powerful blows and furious assault and then…nothing. That was all he could recall and it didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. He had lost, although given the circumstances and his injuries that was hardly surprising.

He suddenly became aware of a soft sound beside him and he turned his gaze to see Spryte, his new fairy friend, curled up on the pillow where his head had been, sound asleep. He smiled at the cute noises she made while sleeping and suppressed the chuckle that threatened to escape his lips; he didn't want to wake her after all.

"I see you're awake," A voice to his side broke the silence. Link snapped his head to the sound to see an elderly woman with pink hair held up by a strange gold hairpiece and wearing an even stranger red cloak coming towards him.

"How do you feel?"

"My whole body hurts," Link replied truthfully. "But I'll live."

"Hmm," the woman nodded and strode towards him, a vial of some strange concoction in her hand. "That's good. In all honesty I'm surprised you're awake. Your injuries were severe and it's only been a few days." She held out the vial to him. "Drink this." It wasn't a suggestion and for some reason Link didn't dare question her. He took the vial and shucked it back, immediately gagging on the taste.

"Ack!" He coughed in disgust. "That's nasty! Even worse than Chu Jelly!" And THAT was saying something.

"You'll live," the women stated bluntly echoing his own words.

"I suppose I have you to thank for that, don't I?" Link responded after he finished his coughing fit.

"Actually no," She replied and nodded her head towards the sleeping fairy. "She's the one you have to thank. She spent every waking moment hovering over you and trying to heal you with her magic. That's why she is sleeping so soundly."

Link blinked in surprise at the revelation and turned back to the fairy. His smile deepened and he tenderly reached out to stroke her hair with a finger. She stirred at his touch but didn't wake, only snuggling deeper into the warm pillow.

"You should go back to sleep," the woman said after a moment. "You still have a long recovery ahead of you."

Link nodded and suppressed a wince as he settled back down. The potion she had given must have been meant to induce sleep because his eyes started to feel heavy despite how long he had been out before. It wasn't long before his thoughts became muddled and darkness overcame him.

xxx

"How is he?" Makarov asked when Porlyusica stepped outside. He sat with his limbs crossed on her porch, staring out into the trees. He tilted his head just enough to see her with the corner of his eye but no more. The old healer didn't turn to him but kept her gaze straight as she replied.

"He's recovering quicker than I ever expected. That little fairy's magic is rather impressive."

"I see," Makarov nodded. "So she is indeed a fairy then?"

"It would seem so," Porlyusica admitted. "But then again perhaps not. There's something troubling me about both of them."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"For one thing that little girl claims the two of them were sucked into the sky by a dark vortex that suddenly appeared overhead."

Makarov blinked. "That sounds like…"

Porlyusica nodded. "Yes, but they are not from Edolas."

"How can you be sure?"

"The land Spryte described sounds nothing like it for one and for another the boy's physiology is different."

"Do you mean his ears?" Makarov asked curiously.

"No," She replied but then corrected herself. "Well yes, in a way, but that wasn't the first thing I noticed. While certainly unusual it's common to see people with strange features where magic is concerned."

"Hmmm, true enough."

"That's what I believed at first and discounted his ears until I realized that he doesn't have a magic container."

At this Makarov turned his head to stare at her fully. "Are you sure?"

Porylusica met his gaze and nodded. A moment of tense silence fell between them before Makarov turned away with an expression of deep thought.

"So…" he spoke slowly in a contemplative tone. He had already been made aware of the extent of the young lad's injuries and this new piece of information was very startling. "That means…while heavily injured that boy matched Erza blow for blow without the use of magic."

"He did what?" Porlyusica demanded unaware of this fact.

"When he first crashed through the roof of the guild there was a bit of confusion that somehow resulted in the two of them fighting. They were evenly matched for a while until Erza started using her magic actively. She gained the advantage afterwards and that's when I interrupted their fight and the boy collapsed. Nobody realized how hurt he was at the time. If what you say is true then what he accomplished was no small feat."

Another silence fell between them. While she tried to avoid human contact as much as possible, Porlyusica was not ignorant to the happenings of the guild. She knew that Erza was a strong mage, one Makarov was even considering for the S-class exams in a year or two, who excelled in physical combat. Magic naturally made the people with it stronger, faster, and tougher than those without and allowed them to perform great physical feats otherwise impossible. While it was true that people without magic could train their bodies to a high level capable of matching average level mages they could never reach the full potential of someone that did. Even mages that shied away from direct physical combat could take much more punishment than a normal person. The fact that this strange boy was able to match, albeit temporarily, a close combat specializing wizard as strong as Erza without the aid of magic at all spoke volumes of his capabilities. That he was so heavily injured made the accomplishment even more impressive.

It was Makarov that finally broke the silence. "So his abilities aside, and the land description given by the fairy, what makes you so certain he's not from Edolas? It wouldn't be his lack of a magic container, that's a common feature."

"You're right." Porlyusica admitted. "It's how his body is reacting to the magic here that is startling to me. He's absorbing Eternano at an alarming rate; it's flowing through him almost like water. I've never seen anything like it. I believe his body is adapting to the change in environment and I would be astonished if he didn't develop a magic container within a couple of weeks."

THAT got Makarov's attention. "So you think he'll develop magic capabilities on his own?"

"I'm certain of it."

"Hmmm…very interesting…" He rubbed his chin in thought. "If that's the case then I'm curious to see how strong he will become. That boy will be given a rather unique opportunity."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something about him…" Makarov replied. "His eyes… Before he collapsed I met his gaze and what I saw surprised me. They hold age, wisdom, experience…those eyes have seen hardships and trials far beyond his years and yet still carry an unwavering strength. They are not the eyes of a child. I've never seen any like his, not even in Erza." He paused for a moment before continuing. "That boy is a warrior and from what I've seen a pretty strong one to boot. Normally a mage obtains some measure of power and then they temper that power and grow through experience. But he already has experience. If he were to gain magic-even I can't imagine how strong he will become."

Though her face remained stoic, Porlyusica's eyes widened slightly at the implication. If what Makarov said was true then…

"I'd like for him to stay here for a few days."

Makarov raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's an unusual request for you. Are you finally getting sick of this lonely life?"

"Don't be a fool." She snorted. "I hate humans and nothing is going to change that; but this is something new to me and I want to see how it develops. Besides," she bent down and picked up her broom. "That fairy girl isn't human and I'd like to talk to her after she's done fussing over the boy."

Makarov laughed. Leave it to his old teammate to take advantage of such a unique opportunity. "So the mystery of Fairy Tail is still intact," he mused. "If she's from another world then she may not be representative of the fairies in ours."

After another short pause he finally stood up and made to leave the forest. He called over his shoulder as he walked. "When you're done with him, give him directions to the guild. I'd like to give him the opportunity to join and I'm sure those kids would like to talk to him."

Porlyusica watched him leave before beginning to sweep her porch. "Hmmph, idiot. At this rate he's never going to retire."

xxx

The next day Porlyusica was surprised to find Link's bed empty and neatly made. It didn't take long to determine that he wasn't anywhere in the house and just as she felt her irritation beginning to rise she became aware of a strange noise coming from. Curious, she opened the door to her porch and blinked when she saw the boy sitting a ways away on a large tree root and playing some kind of flute. He was surrounded by various woodland creatures that listened raptly to the music flowing from the instrument. The fairy, Spryte, was sitting on the brim of his floppy hat and swinging her legs happily to the tune.

She wasn't aware of exactly how long she stared because she was soon caught up in the melody herself. It was happy and cheerful yet calm and soothing at the same time. The song was beautiful and the boy played it masterfully. All too soon it ended and she saw the boy turn his head towards her with a smile. The animals around him dispersed when the music stopped but they did so at a calm and leisurely pace, not at all disturbed by his presence even when he stood. Some of the animals even lingered around him. It was like he was as native to the woods as the animals themselves.

"Good morning," He called.

Porlyusica didn't respond, simply keeping her hard gaze on him for a few moments before finally replying. "I see you're awake."

"Yeah," Link nodded and stretched out his arms. "I'm still sore but I feel a lot better than I did yesterday."

"An impressive recovery," She stated.

Link smiled. "It's thanks to Spryte here," he indicated the Fairy on his hat who smiled happily. "Fairies specialize in healing magic."

"So I noticed," Porlyusica nodded. "Anyway I suppose you probably have questions and you should know that I have some for you as well. Spryte has told me a few things but she was more concerned with your well being at the time. Now that you're awake we can discuss matters more deeply."

"Sounds fair," he nodded. "I suppose first off I should introduce myself. I'm Link and, as you're already aware, this is Spryte."

"Porlyusica." She replied stonily. "Well then, Link, perhaps you can start by telling me how you ended up here."

For the next few hours Link did his best to explain what had happened to him and Spryte with the fairy adding in her own comments where she felt so inclined. Porlyusica would occasionally interject with a question but mostly listened to him. In turn she explained to him where he was, what had happened after his loss of consciousness, and his current condition. What she told him surprised Link greatly and forced him to think for a few moments in silence.

"So…" he said slowly. "I'm absorbing this… Eternano…from the air and you think I'll soon develop my own magic container to store it?"

"I knew the air here felt different!" Spryte exclaimed. "That explains it!"

It wasn't surprising that Spryte noticed the change. As a fairy she was much more in tune with the environment than a normal person. Meanwhile, Link was intrigued by the idea of magic being used in the ways that Porlyusica had described. It sounded quite different compared to the magic used in Hyrule. Although he knew a few spells and was probably a lot stronger at using what he knew than the average spell caster, he had never considered himself much of one. But this world's magic sounded right up his alley.

"Yes," Porlyusica nodded. "About 90% of the people in Earthland are unable or unwilling to use magic even though it's a part of everyday life. This is mostly due to the lack of a magical container. There are ways of artificially creating one but most of those are very difficult, painful, or expensive; usually a combination of all three. You, on the other hand, are somehow developing one naturally without being born with it."

"What type of magic do you think I'll be able to use?" Link asked curiously.

"That depends on you actually," She replied. "While mages are often naturally inclined to one type of magic or another, any type can be learned if you're willing to put forth the effort. Many mages actually know several types of magic."

"Hmmm…interesting…" Link crossed his arms and looked at the sky thoughtfully.

Porlyusica stared at him for a few moments as if weighing out some difficult decision before she finally spoke. "You will remain here for a few days so that I can monitor your recovery and the development of your magic container. After that I shall tell you how to reach the Guild Hall you crashed through." The way she said it was not a suggestion and brokered no room for argument from the young hero.

The days passed surprisingly quickly in the old healer's opinion. At first she had treated Link with the same disdain mixed with reluctant acceptance that she would any human patient; however, as time passed she noticed herself growing more comfortable with his presence. He was quiet and never bothered her with idle chatter, only asking a question now and then or answering one in turn. Hours passed between them in silence even after Link had wordlessly begun helping her with the herbs and plants around her home. She had raised an eyebrow when he had first stooped down to assist but said nothing when she noticed that he was treating the task in the same manner that she had been, something that he must have learned through careful observation.

After that she had subtly began altering how she did certain things and watched to see what he would do. She was inwardly surprised to discover that he was actively learning just by watching her and not simply imitating. Porlyusica was even more impressed when she realized that he was able to distinguish between what was beneficial and what she was deliberately trying trick him with. Although she would never admit it, it soon became a game to her between the two of them: she trying to trick him and he trying to distinguish between genuine and deliberate actions. Hours passed between them in this manner with neither of them saying so much as a syllable to each other.

There was also the manner by which the boy seemed to be so naturally at home in the forest. The animals that dwelled in the area never seemed bothered by his presence and at times Porlyusica herself failed to notice him even when she knew he was in the area and was doing nothing to conceal himself. In fact, abhorrent as she was to human company, she was amazed by how often she lost track of him when they were in the same clearing.

In the few conversations they did end up having he was polite, honest, and responded with genuine interest or curiosity in kind. His questions were not annoyingly meaningless or probing but reasonable and filled with thought. She was astonished by the level of wisdom and maturity he displayed during these times and she quickly agreed with Makarov that Link was much older in mind than he was in body.

Even so, despite discovering she didn't openly despise his presence, she never portrayed any emotion towards him beyond her typical stoic scowl. The only changes she made in her expression were the occasional widening of her eyes, a raised eyebrow, or a long unblinking stare. She was rather stubborn like that.

The corners of her mouth would _almost_ twitch up into a thin smile whenever Link played on his flute, an ocarina she had learned, and she was forced to admit that he was very good at it. For a while he had kept a strange routine in which he would wonder to the edge of the clearing and play a specific song several times a day; always in the same spot and always the same song. She idly wondered why he did so but didn't really care enough to inquire. She got her answer when one morning after he played his song the loud whinny of a horse reverberated through the leaves in response.

The pure joy that broke across Link's face at the noise was enough to leave even Porlyusica breathless and she watched in silence as he dashed towards the sound just as a young flaxen mare burst through the trees. He cried out in happiness and threw his arms around her neck just as she skidded to a halt in front of him. She whinnied happily in response and vigorously pushed her snout into his chest. He laughed and stroked her muzzle affectionately. It didn't take a genius to realize that she belonged to Link although Porlyusica wondered how she had survived the fall when Link had been so injured. But then most of Link's injuries had come from crashing through the roof of Fairy Tail's Guild Hall.

She focused on the mare and noticed the horse was dirty and haggard, her mane and tail a tangled mess of snarls, twigs, and mud. Based on her appearance Porlyusica wouldn't have been surprised if she had landed in a pond or river in the woods. It would certainly explain her survival and why she was so muddy despite the lack of recent rain. Either way she doubted she'd ever know for certain and the boy didn't seem to care.

Link spent the rest of the day doting on his beloved steed. He washed, scrubbed, and brushed every inch of her until all traces of dirt and mud were removed, carefully combed out every snarl, briar, and bramble caught in her mane and tail, and tended to every scratch and scrape he could find. He never once paused in his work for rest or food until he was completely finished his task and revealed the beautiful and proud mare beneath the offending dirt and grime. Spryte constantly flitted about during this time, helping out where she could and engaging Link in excited chatter.

The fairy was another unique presence that Porlyusica had grown comfortable with. She was full of energy and although she was rather childish at times but she could also be very serious and wise as well. The fact that she had very little experience with human society and as such carried none of the darker qualities that Porlyusica hated about them made her company rather welcome despite her occasional childishness.

Spryte seemed to radiate cheerful playfulness and constantly flitted about exploring every inch of the forest around them. Sometimes she would disappear for hours only to zip up suddenly with uncontained excitement whenever she found something particularly interesting. She was constantly chatting with Link about the things she would find and would often pull him away to show him firsthand. Both she and Link were fascinated by creatures they discovered in the woods. There were familiar ones of course but many were strange and looked like nature had taken several different parts of other creatures and jammed them together into something totally new. They spent a good deal of time discussing their discoveries.

Porlyusica was quick to notice that the fairy constantly gave off a faint glow that, while didn't always emit from her whole body, never seemed to leave her wings and only ever ceased when she was asleep or exhausted. The glow would vary in intensity depending on the fairy's mood and would also change color to reflect strong emotions whenever she felt them although her default color was a pale almost white pink.

They made an interesting pair, Porlyusica decided. They had told her that the two of them had only met just before their unfortunate transportation but they had still developed a surprising bond. They would laugh, joke, and tease one another as if they'd known each other for years and shared everything. Spryte always tried to be of some use to Link and actively sought his attention and the boy in turn would always indulge the fairy and show his appreciation for her efforts. It was thanks to her that he had completely recovered after a day or two and now only stayed in order to adjust to the new world and so Porlyusica could monitor Link's reaction to the presence of Eternano.

She checked on him several times a day and noticed that the rate at which the energy flowed through him changed constantly. Sometimes it would run through him like water down a river while other times it slowed to a trickling stream. At times the energy would swirl around in varying degrees of intensity and size at certain points within his body only to unravel and continue flowing later on. All of these changes in flow were wrought without Link's notice which puzzled her greatly.

It wasn't until one night when she went to check on him while he was asleep that she discovered something interesting. While he was sleeping the flow of Eternano would stop entirely although she could still tell it was trying to reach him. As she stood there and tried to figure out the reason for this sudden change she noticed a faint golden light creeping out from his pillow where his left arm rested. Curious, she gently extracted the limb and forcefully suppressed a gasp when she saw a symbol of three golden triangles glowing on the back of his hand. It looked like a Guild Mark…but she knew of no guild with such an image and she'd never seen one act like this before. After staring at the strange mark in wonder for a few moments she noticed that the flow of Eternano around the boy was being drawn into the mark, explaining the sudden stop of energy going through his body. A sudden pulse of magic energy startled her and she sensed the wave travel down his arm and through the rest of his body only to slowly dissipate after. Then Eternano flowed through the boy as it did during the day for a few seconds before the triangles glowed again and the energy was drawn into it once more.

Porlyusica watched in fascination as the pattern repeated itself several times. Try as she might, she was unable to determine its purpose and the next day during her morning examination of him she could detect no noticeable change beyond a barely perceivable increase in the efficiency of the flow of energy through his body. If she hadn't been extra scrutinizing that morning it would have completely escaped her notice.

After that discovery she would check on him every night and find the phenomenon active each time. She spent hours trying to unravel that mystery and after the third night she finally saw a change. The pulse of energy that flowed through his body suddenly left behind a tiny droplet that swirled around his stomach; right where a typical magical container was located.

Realization suddenly flooded Porlyusica's mind. The mark on his hand was focusing the Eternano and allowing his body to adapt to it! It was what was allowing him to develop a magic container. The pulse would flood his body with the energy, building pathways, and shocking his body with overexposure at night and during the day his body was free to adjust to the natural flow around him and cool down from the sudden concentrated blasts. It was just like lifting weights to build muscle! This unconscious process had allowed Link to develop a magical container of his own just as she had predicted. It was small now, true, but it would only continue to grow and she didn't dare try to estimate how big it could get.

It seemed it would soon be time for him to meet Makarov.

xxx

It was early afternoon when Link reached the edge of Magnolia Town, though the name was a bit of a misnomer since it was far more a city than a town. He and Spryte couldn't help but marvel at the sight of it. Not only was the city much bigger than any settlement either of them had seen before but the buildings were of a design and style that Link was unfamiliar with. Spryte was even more awestruck as this was the first human city she had ever seen. It both frightened and excited her. She longed to fly this way and that, to explore the new sights, sounds, and smells, yet she was also afraid of the alien environment and chose to cling tightly to the cloth on Link's shoulder where she sat and remained.

They slowly made their way through the city, not out of any sense of caution, but rather in an attempt to see everything around. They saw many people bustling about their business; people carrying various items, couples walking with linked arms and laughing faces, children playing in the streets, merchants doing business, and many others. They were greeted by men steering small boats down the canals that ran through the city and many others that they passed by. Asking for directions to the Guild Hall was met with friendly and open responses and several times they had to pause as children gleefully ran up to get a better look at Epona. He was rather surprised that he could understand and speak their language, a gift from the Goddesses although he was unaware of it, yet still able to speak in his native tongue. He was very grateful for this fact as he would be in dire straits if such a barrier existed between him and the people of this world. The entire city radiated peace and good cheer and Link couldn't suppress the smile on his face from the atmosphere. The people wore strange clothes and he easily noticed that society seemed to be more advanced than Hyrule, but not so much that it completely overwhelmed him.

They soon came upon their destination and gazed at the large doors of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. The building was significantly larger than any of the others nearby and far more colourful making it stand out like a sore thumb. Link couldn't help but smile as he looked at the sign over the doors.

"Fairy Tail, huh?"

"Seems like a silly name to me," huffed Spryte with puffed cheeks. "What idiot would believe that fairies have tails?"

Link chuckled. "Hey now, remember we're in a different world. Maybe the fairies here really do have tails."

"Hmmph," Spryte turned her head away and pouted. "Maybe, but until I find out otherwise I think it's stupid."

"Fair enough," Link smiled. "So what do you think about this?"

"Does it really matter at this point?" Spryte replied. "You need to learn more about this world's magic and these people did help me save you. We might never be able to return to Hyrule and if that's the case then we should make friends and allies here as soon as possible."

Link nodded in agreement before dismounting. He patted Epona's neck as he walked past her and placed a hand on the door. With a calm and smooth motion he pushed the door wide open.

xxx

"What did you call me you icy blockhead?!" Natsu growled and shoved his face directly against Gray's.

"What are you deaf? Your ears so full of hot air you can't hear? I called you an overgrown candle head!" Gray replied with equal vehemence. Sparks flew between the boys' eyes as they pushed against one another with gritted teeth.

"Alright that's enough you two!" the authoritative voice of a certain red haired girl broke through their clash as she stepped forward. "No more fighting!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" the two boys roared at her.

_***Clunk***_

The solid sound of the two boys' heads bashing together reverberated through the guild and knocked both of them two the ground in a dazed heap. Erza dusted her hands calmly as if having just finished a casual chore and walked away, leaving the two boys moaning on the floor.

"Ara, ara," Mira clucked her tongue with a cruel smirk. She stood casually leaning against bar counter while surveying the scene. "Such a violent way to stop a fight."

"Errrzaaaaa…" Her younger sister Lisanna pouted. "Did you have to hit them so hard?"

"It's what she does," Mira lectured her. "She enjoys beating down people weaker than her, just like that boy from before."

"What was that?!" Erza growled and her gaze darkened.

"You heard me," Mira stood up straight smirked again.

Erza glared at her. She didn't need her rival to remind her of the mistake she made. Some argument could be made that the boy had started the fight but later reasoning would say that he had only done so because she had taken an aggressive stance first. Either way it was she that had not noticed his injuries and continued with the fight when she could have stopped it. Even after he had finally collapsed the sudden appearance of the fairy with him had everyone clamouring in wonder and excitement, making them all temporarily forget the boy altogether; another shameful act. She had spent every night since he was taken to Porlyusica agonizing over whether or not he was alright. Unfortunately the Master had been very close lipped on the subject leaving everyone to wonder about his condition and the circumstances surrounding him on their own.

Erza had been greatly surprised when she learned the extent of his injuries. She had been hard pressed to match him during their initial exchange even though she was able to easily overwhelm him later. That he challenged her so much with such a handicap left her both impressed at his abilities and ashamed that she wasn't similarly weakened. It had been a touchy subject for her ever since.

She spent hours replaying the scene in her mind, trying to remember the details of the fight through the flurry of movement. Some parts of it were hazy to her but one thing stood out perfectly clear: his eyes. She remembered his piercing and unyielding blue eyes boring into hers with a gaze so intense that it was burned into her mind. They were hard, sharp, focused, analysing, impossibly deep…and familiar. They were eyes that, like her, had seen and experienced much hardship and strife; the first she had seen in one as young as she since her escape from that accursed tower. Yet, unlike her, his eyes were strong, pure, and full of resolve. She wished she had those eyes…. Eyes that would not hide her pain from others…Eyes that would not shed tears when no one watched… Eyes that would not reveal the fear in her heart.

She wanted to see him again, to apologize and to talk. She wanted to know why he could remain strong where she had become weak. Why his heart had remained intact when hers had broken. How he had pressed on where she froze in fear. She wanted to know how he had gained such eyes…

She was about to respond to her rival's challenge when the door to the guild suddenly swung open. All eyes, including hers, turned to the entrance and they gaped at what they saw. There, standing in the archway, was the very boy they were arguing about.

He stood calm and straight, surveying the guild members with a calculating scrutiny. His gaze seemed to fall on each individual and they couldn't help but feel like he was judging them through his silent inspection. Even the two semi-conscious young boys on the floor had regained enough coherence to meet his eyes. Erza tensed when his gaze fell upon her. Their eyes met in a silent exchange that lasted for a mere few seconds but they felt like an eternity for her.

Finally, with a lazy blink, the boy's eyes moved passed her to fall upon Mirajane who stiffened at the sudden attention and then toward the two boys on the floor. After he had stared at each of the mages inside, his head angled slightly upwards and he took in the general appearance of the hall itself. If he noticed that the hole he had fallen through before was already repaired he made no indication of such although anybody who bore witness to the intensity of his eyes would never believe he hadn't. Despite the famous reputation of rowdiness that Fairy Tail was known for, everyone remained silent and still as the strange boy made his inspection.

With his visual sweep complete he took a step forward unperturbed by the silence and the stares. He made his way several feet into the hall before stopping and standing still once again. He looked around once more before finally breaking the silence.

"Is Master Makarov here?" He asked politely. For a moment nobody answered his question but then a voice overhead responded.

"Ah, I see you have recovered my boy."

He looked up to see the diminutive Guild Master staring down at him from a banister on the second floor with a broad smile. A nimble jump of surprising athleticism landed him a couple of feet from the boy. He crossed his arms behind his back greeted him cheerfully.

"I am the Guild Master, Makarov, nice to meetcha!" Makarov smiled. The boy, who seemed unsurprised by his size and acrobatics, met his greeting with a smile of his own.

"I'm Link," He introduced himself and pointed to the fairy on his shoulder. "And this is Spryte."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail's Guild Hall," Makarov bowed. "I've already had the pleasure of being introduced to your little friend, although you were not awake at the time. It's a shame that your first time here wasn't under, er, better circumstances."

Link chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah…Sorry about that…"

Makarov laughed. "Nonsense! Magic is a mysterious power that touches all our lives. We can't be held responsible for the things that happen around us that are beyond our control."

"So you're not mad that I got into a fight here?"

"Bah," Makarov shook his head. "Such a little scrap could hardly be called a fight in this guild. No, dear boy, it is we who should apologize for not tending to your wounds sooner than we did."

"Ah," this time it was Link who shook his head. "It's alright. I imagine my…entrance…was a bit surprising. And I did strike first so that didn't help matters either."

"A wise answer indeed. Either way, I'm glad that you are alright and that you've seem to have made a full recovery," Makarov nodded to him.

"I have, thank you," Link replied. "Porlyusica told me you wanted to see me?"

"Hmmm yes…" Makarov's voice turned more serious. "I'll be frank; you're something of an enigma to us. Porlyusica discussed a few things when you were still unconscious and we came to some rather interesting conclusions. I would hear your full story at a later time but what I want to know right now is whether or not you can use magic."

Link looked at him for a moment. "I…I'm not sure," he replied truthfully. "Your magic is different than what I am used to but Porlyusica says I that I can."

"I see, so you have developed a magic container then." Makarov lowered his gaze to the floor between them. It was a statement not a question and gave the Guild Master pause to think for a moment. After a short time he raised his head back to the youth. "I must admit that I am impressed with your ability, Link. You are clearly much more than you seem. Do you know what this place is?"

"Porlyusica said it was a guild; a gathering place for wizards." Link replied.

"That is true," Makarov nodded but continued on with a gentle smile. "But Fairy Tail is much more than just a guild. It's a place where we can develop our powers while following our hearts and our dreams and a place where friends and those without a home can call their own. In short Fairy Tail is a family and we treat our comrades as such. Their pain is our pain and their happiness is our happiness. The spirit of adventure burns within us all. Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist... Like them, this place as an eternal mystery... A never ending adventure!"

At that proclamation all the Fairy Tail member around them that had previously been silent cheered loudly and raised their fists to the air.

Makarov grinned broadly at him and waited for the noise to subside. "That is who we are, Link. Although," he cocked his head to the side and stared at Spryte, who once again crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Your little friend might have something to say about that."

Link laughed. "Maybe," he replied after he reigned in his mirth. "Your guild sounds amazing, Makarov."

"Well we certainly think so," Makarov chuckled. "And since you have the potential to use magic, I'd like to extend an invitation for you to join Fairy Tail. We can teach you how to use your power and give you a place to call home."

"Well," Link tilted his head back and tapped his chin in thought. "Right now I'm alone in this world except for Spryte and my horse Epona…We're strangers to this land with no direction." He gave a light shake of his head then smiled. "I don't know what the future may bring but for now I think…I think I would like to join you."

More cheers erupted around them as Makarov extended his hand to Link who eagerly shook it.

"Well then, Link," The Guild Master grinned. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

xxx

A/N: Annnnnnd done. So what do you think? Not really a whole lot action wise happening this time but it was necessary step to put down. If I didn't make this clear then let me just say that Link no longer possesses the Triforce of Courage and was not given a copy all three. He was given several different things at once, which he will discover as he grows, but in general just think of him as having a little bit of the entire Triforce but not the fullness of it. Also, he does not remember his meeting with the Goddesses. He may recall bits and pieces of it later but for now that experience is lost to him.

Call it lazy but I didn't want to expand upon how Epona got there. She landed in river in the East Forest and eventually found her way back to Link thanks to Epona's Song. Link's injuries were from smashing through the roof of the guild and all that debris. You try surviving something like that unscathed.

So next chapter will have Link getting to know the members of Fairy Tail and learning some magic. Yay!

I do have a couple of things I would like opinions on however:

**1. Color (I was thinking either green or gold) and position of Link's guild mark**

**2. A future Epithet for him. Eg – Titania Erza or Natsu the Salamander**

**3. Some ideas for jobs that he could go on**

I have ideas for these things of course but I would like to hear what some of you guys think as well. Drop me a PM or a review if you feel like sharing. I can't say I'll use them but I will definitely give credit where it is due if I choose to incorporate something.

Oh also…should I have Lisanna stay in Earthland or have the circumstances that happened in canon happen?

I think that's it so until next time I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	3. Welcome to Fairy Tail

By the light of the Triforce, I cannot believe the reception I'm getting on this story! Only two chapters and I've already received 81 reviews! I love you all!

Unfortunately because I've received so many more reviews than I ever expected to get at this point, I'm not going to do a full **Reader Response** this time, especially because a lot of the reviews were in response to my three questions last chapter and so would have similar replies. I really want to get this chapter up and I imagine you guys do too.

So instead I would like to thank EVERYONE who gave me their ideas and opinions on magic, epithets, quests, and guild mark details. Really. Thank you very much. Some of you had similar opinions to me and that helped reinforce my own desires and others gave me things to consider that I never thought of.

Your responses truly made an impact on my decisions and I graciously thank you every one of you for all your support and feedback!

If anyone reviewed me with an inquiry or comment that did not concern my three questions and you would like me to answer you directly, feel free to send me a PM and I'll get back to you on it.

Once again, thank you so much for your praise, compliments, and constructive criticism! You guys truly make writing this stuff worthwhile!

On a side not, I don't think I ever put in a disclaimer (not that you should need to if your posting on a freaking fanfiction site) so I should probably do that now before I get in trouble:

*Ahem* I do not own Legend of Zelda or Fairy Tail. Wish I did. Oh the possibilities if I did….But I don't. So yeah, sad day….Oh and I'm also borrowing Spryte's design from the Zeldanime project. They just did such a perfect job with it…

Anywho…with that out of the way, let me present:

The Legend of Fairy Tail

Chapter 3:

Welcome to Fairy Tail

xxx

"Now then Link, this…" Makarov held up a large stamp. "Is the Fairy Tail Guild Mark. All registered members of a guild are required to have the mark of their respective guild somewhere on their bodies. This serves as a form of identification which is recognized throughout the world. The mark can be placed anywhere and in any color you want. Where would you like yours?"

Link stared at the magical tool in silent contemplation for a moment. He had made note of the guild marks he had seen on some of the members when he had first walked in. Because he didn't see them on everyone he had at first he had assumed they were tattoos some of them had voluntarily gotten, but after what the Master told him perhaps the ones he missed were hidden beneath clothes. So now he needed to choose where he wanted his own mark and the color of it, did he?

His first thought was to color the mark green, like the rest of his attire, but he ruled that out after a moment. He reasoned that the mark identified him as a mage, a user of magic. He wanted the color to have a bit more meaning to it, one that would reflect that status rather than just choosing his favourite. He snorted in mild amusement at how obvious his choice was; after all, the greatest symbol of magic in Hyrule had always been associated with a particular color.

Now he just needed to pick where he wanted it to be.

He idly raised his left hand to glance at the Triforce symbol engraved on the back. The thought of placing the mark over top of or within the Triforce symbol passed through his mind, but that idea seemed sacrilegious in a way and he immediately cast it aside. Besides its divine origins the mark on his left hand was a symbol of where he had come from and his previous life, as such he was loathe to obscure or alter it in any way. He looked down at his right hand and debated for a moment to place the Fairy Tail mark there. He shook his head to himself, deciding that he didn't want marks on both of his hands.

Then a sudden thought occurred to him while he stared at the guild mark presented on the stamp. It kind of reminded him of the Gorons of Death Mountain and their symbol, a mark which they proudly wore on the upper part of their arms just below the shoulders.

With a light grin, Link presented his right arm to the Guild Master.

"I'd like it here," He said, tapping the spot on his upper arm. "In gold."

"Very well," Makarov nodded and pressed the stamp on his arm. It came off with a light popping noise and left behind a brightly glowing white symbol that quickly faded to reveal the Fairy Tail mark emblazoned in gold on his upper arm.

Makarov smiled to him. "Congratulations my boy, you are now an official member of Fairy Tail."

"What about me?" Spryte chimed in enthusiastically. "Do I get one?"

Makarov blinked in surprise for a moment before laughing heartily. "My dear, I would love to give you one as well. What better place for a fairy than in Fairy Tail? Unfortunately this stamp is a little big for you and I can't alter it myself due to the registration laws put forth by the Magic Council. However, I would be more than happy to get a special stamp made up just for you. You'll just have to wait a few days."

"Ok," Spryte nodded satisfactorily. "Thank you very much!"

"You are quite welcome, my dear."

Link smiled at the antics of his friend. He was eternally grateful that she had stuck with him. They had only known each other for a little while but already they shared a close bond. Saving each other's lives could do that to people.

"Your name was Link, right?"

Startled from his thoughts, the Hylian in question turned to see the red headed girl he had fought with earlier now standing before him.

"Yes, that's right," Link nodded.

"I'm Erza," She introduced herself with a light bow. "Erza Scarlet."

"It's nice to meet you Erza," Link smiled lightly to her. He was glad that she had approached him. He had wanted to talk to her and her appearance saved him the trouble of seeking her out. "I wish our first meeting had been under better circumstances and I'm sorry I attacked you before."

Erza flinched. "Yes…about that…"She spoke slowly, clearly nervous about the topic. "It is I who should apologize to you. I should not have presented myself as a threat, especially with your injuries."

"It's alright," Link waved her off. "It was a confusing moment for everyone."

"Even so, I should have noticed how badly you were hurt. Instead I chose to fight an injured opponent and only aggravated your wounds. I cannot begin to say how sorry I am for that and I feel that you should strike me for my ignorance."

Link blinked at her. That was different.

"Come again?"

Erza balled her fists in determination and squared her shoulders. "I want you to hit me. I deserve nothing less."

"Why would you want him to hit you?" Spryte asked in alarm and floated between them.

Erza looked surprised at being addressed directly by the fairy but quickly steeled herself again.

"Because I got caught up in the fight and struck him with unnecessary force while he was injured and should have been receiving medical attention. This is my penance."

"Your penance?" Link quirked an eyebrow. "But I already told you it's fine."

"I cannot accept that."

Link stared at her unblinking for a moment, then he turned his gaze to Spryte who merely shrugged and moved aside. He sighed and stepped towards the scarlet haired girl. If she was so determined to see this through then he would oblige her.

"Are you sure about this?"

She nodded.

"Here goes then," He said resolutely and cocked a fist back. Erza shut her eyes and gritted her teeth in preparation for the blow. She waited…and waited…but the blow never came. Confused, she opened her eyes and found Link's hand hovering right in front of her face, only not in a fist. Instead his middle finger was curled inward and Erza had only a second to register what he was about to do before a sharp flick rapped the middle of her forehead.

"Ow!" She winced from the sudden sting and rubbed the spot with her hand.

"You satisfied now?" Link drawled and crossed his arms.

"What?" Erza gazed at him incredulously. "That's it?"

Link nodded, "You asked me to hit you and I did. You didn't say how hard I had to do it."

"But-"

"Look," Link interrupted with a wave of his hand. "It was an honest mistake and one that I am also to blame for because I attacked first. You were defending yourself and the guild from a possible threat and I'm no stranger to that concept. You did nothing wrong, and frankly I've been through worse."

"But-"

"No buts," now he glared at her. "I've already done what you asked. Don't ask me to do it again, cause I won't."

Erza continued to stare at him with a stunned expression before she slowly smiled. "Very well, thank you for fulfilling my request."

"Awww, looks like the blondie took it easy on ya Erzy," the mocking voice of a white haired girl about Erza's age and wearing very scanty Goth themed clothes rang out towards them. "He probably thought you were too weak take it."

Erza's demeanour instantly turned murderous and she whirled on the girl. "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME, YOU UGLY HAG?!"

"ANYTIME, THUNDER THIGHS!"

The two girls charged towards each other and met in the center of the guild hall, smashing their hands and faces together in a mad bid for dominance while ceaselessly hurtling insults at one another. Both Link and Spryte gaped at the sight, not just at the fight between the two girls but also the fact that nobody seemed to care about doing anything about it.

"I…take it this happens a lot?" Link asked to no one in particular.

"Oh, don't mind them," a new voice spoke up and Link turned to see a little girl a few years younger than him wearing a pink collared sundress with sleeves approach. She had white hair the same shade as the girl picking a fight with Erza but worn in a bob cut as opposed to the Goth girls pony tail. She was followed by a young boy wearing a rather nice looking blue suit with a red string tie. "They're always like that. I'm Lisanna Straus and this is my big brother Elfman, the one fighting with Erza is our older sister Mirajane. Anyway, we just wanted to welcome you to Fairy Tail."

Link smiled at them. "Nice to meet you, Lisanna, Elfman and thank you."

"Hi there!" Spryte flitted forward and bobbed eagerly in front of Lisanna. "I'm Spryte!"

"Hello, Spryte," Lisanna giggled cheerfully and stared in wonder at the glowing fairy, her translucent wings shedding faint specs of glowing dust with each rapid beat. "Wow…You're so pretty! I love your wings!"

"You think so?" Spryte clapped her hands with glee and flew around the young girl in a rapid spiral, causing her to giggle some more. "Thank you very much!"

"Heh," Link chuckled. "Looks like you have a fan, Spryte."

"You're just jealous," the fairy smirked imperiously at him but before Link could make a rebuttal, a pink haired boy wearing a white scaled scarf leapt towards them.

"Hi, I'm Natsu!" The boy grinned broadly at the two of them.

"Hey!" Spryte huffed angrily at him, her good mood immediately vanishing. "You're the one that called me a bug!"

"Eh-heh, sorry about that," Natsu scratched his head sheepishly. "I shoulda guessed you were a fairy cause you sure smell a lot better than any bug I know of."

Spryte wasn't too sure how to respond to that.

"So, Link," Natsu eagerly continued, oblivious to the fairy's indignant expression.. "Are you all better now?"

"Uh…yeah," Link nodded.

"Alright!" The pink haired boy pumped his fist in excitement. His broad grin spread from ear to ear as he bounced on his toes. "You're strong right?"

Link blinked at the sudden question. "I can hold my own I guess."

"That's awesome!" If possible, Natsu's grin only widened. "Will you fight me?"

Link blinked again. "Fight...you? Why?"

That question seemed to puzzle the pink haired boy. "Because you say you're strong, why else?"

That statement surprised Link. While he remembered having play fights at times with his fellow Kokiri, after he had taken up the sword in defence of his land he could not recall ever having fought just for the sake of it. Each time he had drawn his blade had invariably been meant to further his cause in some way. To be asked by someone to fight in earnest like this for no other apparent reason than they wanted to was a new experience for him.

"You should do it, Link," Spryte chirped up from her position hovering by his head. "It would be good for you to see where you stand in this world."

"Uh…" Link glanced at her for a moment before turning back to Natsu who was eagerly awaiting his reply. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!"

"Well ok then," Link smiled and stood up. "Lead the way."

He could tell that Natsu was more than ready to trade blows right then and there but Link didn't think it was a good idea to fight in the guild hall, therefore they headed outside behind the building. Most of the guild came to watch and formed a large crowd off to the side. All of them enjoyed watching a good fight and everyone was curious about the newest member of the guild, so it really was no big surprise that they filed out after them. Even Mira and Erza had broken off their own squabble to view the match.

"Alright!" Natsu shouted and cracked his knuckles. "I'm all fired up now! This is gonna be awesome!"

His enthusiasm was so contagious that Link couldn't help but crack a smile as well. Seeing that Natsu didn't have any weapons with him, Link settled into loose ready position with his hands raised. While he mostly fought with a sword and shield, he was not a stranger to fighting with his hands. Being in the bodies of both a Zora and a Goron saw to that. The Zora, Mikau, whose spirit resided in the mask Link used to transform, had been particularly adept at hand to hand combat and spending so much time in a body with such knowledge and abilities had caused some of that knowledge to bleed over to his normal self.

"Here we go!" Natsu roared his challenge and lunged forward. Link blinked in shock at the surprising burst of speed and only had time to cross his arms in defence before Natsu smashed a fist against him. The force of the attack sent him sliding back a couple of feet, though he remained standing, and made him wince in pain. Natsu was STRONG! His physical abilities were much greater than Link had expected, especially from a boy both smaller and younger than his current body.

'_Is it because of the magic in him?' _Link wondered as he silently gauged his opponent with a new light. '_Porlyusica said the physical abilities of mages surpassed those of normal people but even so…that was surprising.'_

Regardless of this new turn of events Link was not worried. The vast majority of his battles had been against opponents whose physical abilities surpassed his, this fight was no different. He calmly uncrossed his arms and gave them a quick shake to dispel the last of the pain and regain full feeling in them before once again readying himself, never having once shifted his gaze away from the pink haired boy in front of him as he did.

Again, Natsu charged at him but this time Link was prepared. In a swift, fluid motion that spoke of skill cultivated from a life of combat, Link pivoted away from his strike, spinning as he did so that he faced Natsu's back, allowing the boy to pass by like water flowing past a stone. Natsu quickly recovered and turned to attack once again. He pressed Link back with a barrage of punches and kicks that he was forced to either block or dodge. Occasionally Natsu would score a glancing blow that made Link wince but was never able to land a direct hit on the young Hylian.

Link saw his chance when Natsu overextended a punch and he capitalized on the moment by driving his own fist into Natsu's cheek. The boy stumbled back from the blow but quickly brushed the attack aside and smirked.

"That all you got?" He challenged with manic enthusiasm. "You don't even hit as hard as that sissy stripper, Gray!"

"Oi!" The aforementioned boy shouted from the crowd. "You wanna go flame breath?!"

Whatever argument that developed between the two after that didn't register in Link's mind as he was too deep in his own thoughts, a slight frown crossing his face. Natsu's declaration, he was certain, carried with it more truth than bravado and that troubled him. Link knew that he was by no means weak; in Hyrule he was considered to be in top physical condition and could match people several years older than him in terms of strength. That Natsu, a boy at least a year younger than him, could take a full force punch to the face and treat it like it was nothing spoke volumes about the physical capabilities of a wizard. He knew then that he couldn't hope to match the pink haired boy, or any other wizard for that matter, by going head to head like this. At least not yet.

'_Well, I guess I'll just have to fight smarter,' _Link smiled to himself and tightened his fists. This time he lunged towards Natsu, breaking up the verbal fight between him and Gray, and imitated his first charging punch. Natsu dodged by stepping aside but Link had counted on this. He tilted his punch as he moved by and planted a hand on the ground before curling into a tight forward roll. The instant his feet were back underneath him he spun low, still crouched, and knocked Natu's legs out from under him with a sweeping kick. The pink haired mage let out a cry of surprise as his back hit the ground. Before he could react Link had again rolled forward, extending a leg as he did so, and heel dropped him in the stomach.

"GAK!" Natsu lurched, spittle flying from his mouth, and coughed. Improved physicality or not, a kick like that hurt.

Link quickly back-rolled away from him and up to his feet, settled back into his ready position, and waited for Natsu to rise. The pink haired boy did so jerkily with coughing haggard breaths that tried to force air into his lungs. Cheers erupted around them from the voices of the other Fairy Tail mages at the turnabout display of skill but the exact details of their words were lost to Link who kept his attention solely focused on the slowly rising boy.

"Heh, nice one!" Natsu gasped out between mouthfuls of air, the huge grin on his face belying the event that had just taken place. "But you better step it up cause I'm about to beat the green outta ya!"

With that he launched towards Link again with his fist cocked back. This time Link did not step out of the way. Instead, when Natsu's thrust his fist towards his face, Link bent over backwards into a handspring that not only let him dodge the blow but also brought his foot crashing into Natsu's chin. The brutal counter instantly stopped Natsu's charge and knocked him off his feet. Before the pink haired boy could hit the ground Link lunged forward and smashed a knee into his gut. Natsu doubled over but Link did not stop and spun to grab the boys arm and throw him over his shoulder and onto the ground. Immediately following the impact Link quickly manoeuvred himself and Natsu so that he was leaning on Natsu's prone form with a knee in his back and his arm twisted up behind him.

An absolute stillness fell upon them, Natsu's pained gasps the only sounds heard. It had all happened so fast and so unexpectedly that the sudden end left everyone stunned. A few moments passed in this manner until everyone suddenly broke out in cheers. While not the best fight any of them had ever seen by far, it had still been a good bout and Link's display of skill had impressed them. Makarov in particular stroked his chin with a thoughtful but amused expression on his face. He had watched the entire fight with a critical eye and his attention had been entirely focused on the green clad boy. What he saw had only confirmed his earlier suspicions about the boy being a seasoned warrior. He had seen it in his demeanour.

At first the boy had seemed as carefree as Natsu, cheerful and ready for a light spar, but as the fight had progressed he had seen that attitude change. The changes were slight and barely noticeable; a minor shift in posture here, a small twitch in muscles there, and the dilation of pupils. Despite their seeming insignificance those subtle changes spoke volumes to the old man. They showed Makarov at what point Link had stopped sparring and started fighting. That last move hadn't been one meant for a spar, but it wasn't the motions that made it so – it was the intent behind them. Somewhere during their fight Link had let his mind go and allowed his body to follow its instincts. Normally fighting by pure instinct was dangerous because while instinctual impulses could potentially save one's life and even allow you to perform feats the rational mind cannot, they could also get you killed. The same holds true for over thinking, another problem where a person gets so muddled up in the options of an action that they are unable to take one before it's too late.

What Link had done was different. He had acted on instinct but his head had still been in control. He had achieved a state where the mind governed the body without thought. A state where his disciplined mind was aware of all possibilities but his body instinctually chose the best option based on the actions of his opponent. Such a feat spoke of vast experience in life or death battles where a single mistake could be a mortal one. During that brutal counter Link had no longer been sparring, no longer participating in a friendly duel meant to gauge one another's strength, instead he had begun to truly fight and his body chose a course of action intended to decisively end the conflict without question to the victor.

Makarov was unsure if the action had been on purpose or if Link's battle instincts had simply taken over. Even now he watched the boy blink and refocus his eyes as if coming down from some adrenaline induced high. The Guild Master let out a short non-committal grunt. Whether the attack was instinctual or not didn't really matter; the results spoke for themselves.

'_Such potential…I wonder how strong he will become…'_

xxx

Erza watched the fight with rapt though she had apologized to Link earlier, she still felt guilty about what had happened between them. She had wallowed in shame for days over the incident and when she finally had the chance to atone, his response, or lack thereof, had thrown her for a loop. She had expected Link to be angry, but instead he had waved the incident off like it was nothing and even turned her demand around on her in a way that brokered an end to the entire discussion.

It was a surprising conclusion.

With her apology out of the way, she had wanted to ask him a few questions that had plagued her ever since he had been taken to Porlyusica. Unfortunately her chance was interrupted by the insufferable Mirajane, and then Natsu had challenged him to a spar.

However, Erza was not actually upset with this turn of events, quite the contrary, she was actually glad for it. She would have time to speak with Link at length later on, for now she was interested in seeing his ability. From what little she had gathered from speaking with the Master, Erza knew that Link had not possessed magical capabilities when they had fought. Yet despite this handicap he had proved a surprising challenge for her even though he was also heavily injured. The fight with Natsu was a good opportunity to see Link's strength unhindered by his previous wounds and what she saw impressed her.

She had noted the surprise on Link's face upon receiving Natsu's opening strike. This only confirmed the truth about his lack of a magic container. What followed next was a rather impressive display of skill that culminated in a punch of Link's own. It was a decisive hit and one that if she herself had landed on the pink haired Dragon Slayer would have ended the fight right then and there. But Natsu had shrugged off the blow rather easily and she could tell that Link had been surprised by that.

For once, she ignored the banter that had erupted between Natsu and Gray and instead kept her attention focused on Link. She watched him stare at his fist and then at Natsu with a thoughtful expression. Erza wondered what thoughts could be going through his head. It was obvious to her that the boy did not specialize in fighting unarmed like Natsu did. As such he was at a disadvantage not only in that aspect, but also because he couldn't match the Dragon Slayer's physicality. Despite this, she could perceive no hint of nervousness or fear from him. Actually she couldn't detect any emotion from him at all beyond the contemplative look on his face, if that could be called an emotion.

Then he smiled.

It was light and appeared slowly but was definitely a smile. Erza's breath hitched slightly at the sight, the pause so small she didn't even notice it. The expression on his face was one of confidence, calm and eagerness all at once and raised many questions in Erza's mind. Why was he so calm? What was he going to do next? Why was there no hint of doubt? These questions and others rapidly shot through her mental faculties without answer and it galled her that they remained so.

She was no stranger to the overconfidence and bravado that many of the mages in Fairy Tail exhibited, particularly that of Natsu and Gray, and would have understood if Link had used such tactics to push aside his own fears and nervousness. She herself hid behind such protection, perhaps even more so than anyone else in the guild. But Link's expression displayed none of this; no false pretences and no verbal motivation. There was no deceit at all. He was absolutely sure of himself.

She couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down her spine. She had only seen such an expression on one other person before: the same boy who had given her the name, Scarlet.

Erza clenched her fists and tightened her jaw at the memory. She barely registered Link initiating an attack on Natsu but her attention refocused in time to see him bring the young fire mage to the ground. It was a brilliant move, well executed and perfectly timed. Erza eyes widened slightly in surprise; the fight had taken an unexpected turn and once again she focused entirely on it. She watched as Natsu attacked again only to be brought down once more by a devastating counter that clearly ended the fight.

While cheers broke the brief silence that followed, Erza remained quiet. She had noticed something during that last exchange, a…change of sorts in Link's demeanour. She couldn't place what brought it on or even what said change really was, but something had been different about Link and that only added another question to her thoughts.

She frowned. It was time to get some answers for herself.

xxx

Link grinned as he helped Natsu back to his feet. The pink haired Dragon Slayer winced and rotated his shoulder to relieve the remnants of pain.

"Good fight," He grinned back at Link. "But I'll beat you next time!"

Link chuckled lightly but nodded in response. He didn't say anything because he was too busy going over everything he had learned from that fight. It had been an enlightening experience.

"Yes, that was certainly a good display of skill," a new voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Erza walking forward with a confident smirk. "But I believe that you are more suited to swordplay, are you not?"

Link eyed the sabre at her side for a moment then nodded. "I am."

Erza smiled and drew her blade. "Well then since you've recovered your strength, why don't we have a rematch? I'm curious to see how strong you really are."

Link stared at her for a moment before a light smile crossed his face and he drew his own sword. Erza nodded in satisfaction and the two of them settled into their own respective stances. They stared each other down in silence for several moments before, as if triggered by some unseen signal, they launched towards one another, their blades meeting with a resounding clang of metal on metal.

Link openly balked at the force he felt when their blades clashed. He had only vaguely recalled some of the details about their previous fight and so he was unaware of her actual capabilities. He had, of course, expected her to be more physically powerful than him, just like Natsu had been, but that expectation had not prepared him at all for that first strike. Natsu had been strong, no doubt about that, but Erza…Erza was different.

She wasn't just strong; she was RIDICULOUSLY strong.

His entire arm had gone numb and he barely managed to maintain the grip on his sword.

His expression turned incredulous and he stared into her eyes with open amazement, their locked blades having brought their faces close. Erza smirked at his bewildered countenance and pushed him back, separating their blades, and lunging forward to strike again. She slashed horizontally at him but he agilely back flipped out of harms reach and then hopped away a few more steps to create some distance.

Erza placed her free hand on her hip and tilted her head slightly to the side to meet his gaze with an almost mocking expression. Link took the time to gather his bearings and regard her in a new light.

'_By the Goddesses…it's like sword fighting a Goron…a Goron the same size and even faster than me!'_

He took another moment to marvel at her power before he shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and tightened the grip on his sword. Erza smirked once more when she saw this and the two of them lunged towards each other once again.

Erza slashed, but Link parried the blow and countered with a thrust. She avoided it easily and struck again only to be deflected once more. This pattern continued for a while, both fighters striking, countering, and striking again in a wild dance of blades. Erza's eyes narrowed while they exchanged blows as she noticed something interesting about their clashes. Every single one of her attacks had either been dodged or deflected; not once did Link attempt to block her directly. She could not say the same.

Their fast paced exchanges quickly revealed something to the red haired mage that surprised her greatly and caused her chest to tighten.

Link was better than she was.

It was a hard truth that, while not causing her any anger, did raise a great amount of alarm. Erza was not overconfident in her abilities, just the opposite actually; she was acutely aware of what she was capable of and where she stood in terms of strength with her peers. She was not arrogant enough to believe she was invincible; her own troubled past proved quite the contrary. Therefore, with the knowledge of her own limits clear in her mind, Erza could not deny that Link was the better swordsman.

She outclassed him in every other way, physically and magically, yet he was able to trade blows with her on equal ground. It was…exhilarating and Erza couldn't suppress the smile that slowly spread on her face. She attacked with greater ferocity and slowly began to push Link back. She grinned widely, elated by her gained advantage, and struck with a powerful overhead slash. Link jumped back and her sword struck ground, gouging the earth and throwing up rocks and dirt from the force.

Link crouched low, one hand gripping the dirt as he slid back. As soon as he came to a halt he rose up and rocketed back towards her, switching his sword to his left hand as he did. Erza blinked in surprise at the sudden change and quickly raised her sword up overhead with one hand bracing the flat of her blade to block his attack. His downward slash had been faster and more forceful than any of his previous attacks and made Erza's eyes widen in surprise. He'd been fighting her with his weaker hand.

Throughout the fight they had alternated between one handed and two handed strikes as the flow of battle dictated, but Link had fought with his right hand dominate and the sudden switch to his good hand had broken the rhythm the two of them had established. Now it was Erza's turn to be pressed back. She struggled for a moment under his onslaught but even though she had been surprised by the change, she held strong and quickly adapted. They were evenly matched once again and Erza's excitement grew even more.

Never before had she fought a battle like this.

While this was not her toughest fight or her strongest opponent, Link drove her to a point beyond what anyone else had before; a battle of pure skill in her own chosen field of expertise. True, she wanted to make it a fair fight and so was holding back quite a bit, not using her magic actively nor taking full advantage of her physical superiority, but even so Link challenged her in a way no one else had. She grinned again, perhaps it was time to step things up a bit.

She lunged forward once more and Link prepared to meet her. Erza smirked as he readied his defense and just before she met him, she raised her empty hand and summoned her magic power.

"**Requip!**"

Link's eyes widened in shock as another sword appeared in her hand and he was forced to dodge unceremoniously to the side in an awkward roll to avoid her sudden two pronged attack. Even before he had fully regained his footing, his shield was in hand and he braced for the impact he knew would be coming. He was not disappointed and his teeth rattled when Erza battered him with a powerful blow. He slid back a few feet from the force but he quickly regained his form and settled back into a ready position.

Erza smirked at him again and slid into her own stance, one sword angled towards him in front and the other raised overhead. This time it was Link who charged first, smashing his sword against Erza who crossed her blades in defense. It was her turn to be surprised when Link immediately spun and smashed his shield against her guard. She stumbled back and was forced to jump away to avoid Link's follow up slash.

The scarlet haired mage banished her swords and clapped her hands together to materialize the same halberd she had defeated him with before. She charged him and thrust the bladed point forward. Link deflected the attack with his shield and tried to counter but was forced to defend with his sword when Erza swung the butt end of the spear at him.

Erza continued to press her attack, whirling like a red dervish, striking and countering with all parts of her halberd. Link met her ferocious onslaught with an impeccable defense that denied all of her blows, his curved shield greatly aiding him against her strength. Unfortunately, though he was able to defend, he was unable to find an opportunity to go on the offensive. Another solid strike against his shield sent him skidding back once more and created some space between them.

The red headed young girl gazed at her opponent with an analytical expression as she took in his features. Despite the ferocity and exertions of the fight, Link remained calm and poised; his breathing a bit deeper than before but still regular and his posture showed no signs of weariness despite his dishevelled appearance that may indicate otherwise.

She couldn't help but admire him.

He was so much stronger without magic than she had ever been and it amazed her that one so young could possess such strength.

'_What would he have done had he been there?' _She wondered to herself as painful memories of her childhood flashed through her mind._ 'If he had been with us, would things have been different?'_

Erza shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. It wouldn't do to dwell on such things; she needed to focus on the present. Even so, her brief lapse into the past brought her attention back to the feature that had originally sparked her interest in the blonde haired swordsman: his eyes.

His piercing gaze had never once wavered from her and she could see an endless depth in them that spoke of many things. She wanted to know what he had gone through to gain such eyes and exactly what it was that she saw in them. Erza had seen a look similar to her own in them, but there was something different as well and she had desperately wanted to know what that was. His fight with Natsu and now with her had shown her that difference. She had seen in his eyes an unshakable resolve in the face of a harsh life; the ability to persevere and overcome all trials. Eyes with strength she never possessed.

This fight had been more than she had dared hoped it would be. She had learned much and the challenge the fight presented excited her. However, there was one last thing she wanted to experience first-hand. She had seen it during the fist fight with Natsu; a moment when Link's presence had changed.

Erza knew that Link was much more adept with a sword than he was his fists and perhaps that was why, despite the much higher level of combat they had engaged in, that shift in presence had not made itself known. She frowned slightly and tightened her grip on her halberd. She wanted to see that presence for herself and there was only one way to bring it out of him.

It was time to step it up.

She darted forward with a mad burst of speed that caught Link off guard once more. His eyes widened and he desperately threw up a haphazard defense. He may as well have been standing behind a soap bubble. Erza easily broke through his guard and struck him with the shaft of her halberd, sending him flying back. He landed with a grunt of pain but he rolled with his momentum and flipped back to his feet when his back hit the ground to try and regain his footing. He was given no chance to recover before Erza was flying towards him once more, her halberd raised high overhead.

Link was barely able to move aside before the scarlet headed girl cratered the ground where he had just been. Erza darted after him and thrust the butt of her weapon into his gut, causing spittle to fly from the blonde's mouth. She followed through with a solid spinning sidekick into his chest that once again knocked him skidding on his back. The moment his movement came to a halt Link had to roll away when his gaze registered Erza falling towards him. She planted the blade of her halberd into the ground, missing him by inches. Rather than trying to wrench it free she abandoned the weapon and lunged towards Link again, Requipping her sword once more.

She attacked ferociously, but this time Link was able to kip up to his feet and avoid her. He tried to counter but Erza easily broke his attack and scored a powerful palm thrust to his chest that sent him reeling. She struck again and Link was finally forced to block her sword. The force of the impact brought the young Hylian to his knee with a cry and Erza kicked him away again. She charged forward once more intent on continuing her onslaught.

That was when she saw it. The change she had been trying to force out of him.

She had barely noticed it when he fought Natsu, but now it stood out to her like a beacon. His posture shifted, his muscles tensed, and his pupils dilated to an intense degree. The shift in presence was slight and would barely be noticeable to an onlooker, but to Erza Scarlet the change was so profound that she almost faltered in her attack.

Link's eyes no longer focused on her; they pierced right through. It felt like he saw her in her entirety, focused on nothing but seeing everything, every minute detail, all at once. She felt naked under such a gaze.

It was like she was fighting a whole new person.

She watched him shift his stance and move his sword to the side with both hands gripping the hilt. She could sense that he was putting his all into this next attack but it was too late to alter her course. The only thing she could do was strike at the same time he swung his blade.

A flash of steel filled the air followed by the clang of metal. Erza stood a short distance behind Link in a slight crouch, her sword held out to the side. Link's blade spun through the air and sank into the ground several feet away as the young Hylian dropped to the ground in defeat.

The fight was over. She had won.

Erza stood up straight and turned to gaze at him with an almost serene expression on her face. She was about to make a comment when she suddenly felt her hair tumble free of its braid and her eyes widened in shock. She reached up with a tentative hand touch her scarlet tresses and was stunned even further when she felt a shift around her chest. She watched in disbelief as her breastplate fell from her body and clattered to the ground.

She gaped at the broken pieces of her armour in silence, not registering the cheers and raucous noise her fellow guild mates made with the conclusion of the duel. There was only one thought that filled her mind right now.

She had won the fight, but the only reason it hadn't been a draw was because of her armour.

xxx

When Link regained consciousness, he was surprised to find himself lying in a bed. He looked around and spotted Spryte sitting on the edge of a bed side table playing with a knotted string. She beamed when she noticed him awake and fluttered daintily into the air.

"You're finally awake!" She chirped cheerfully and watched him sit up.

"How long was I out?" Link rubbed his forehead blearily.

"A few hours, Erza hit you pretty hard."

Link snorted. That was an understatement. He patted his chest, wondering why there was no wound where there should have been. Erza had, after all, struck him dead on with a sword. Maybe it had something to do with her magic?

"The mages here are incredible," he stated after a moment.

"Yeah, it seems so," Spryte agreed. "I never would have guessed that Erza would be that strong. I mean, you're the Hero of Time and she beat you pretty bad! Not only that, but from what everyone else says, she was holding back quite a bit."

Link nodded. "Yeah, I figured that. Natsu was as well. Did you notice that neither of them used their magic actively in either fight? I think they were trying to make it fair for me."

"Indeed they were," a new voice broke into their conversation. The two of them turned to see Makarov walking towards them with his hands clasped behind his back. "Both of them were aware of your current limitations with magic and so they checked themselves accordingly. It would not have been fair otherwise." A cheerful grin appeared on his face, "Even so, I must say my boy, you showed an impressive display of ability. I have never seen someone as young as you be so strong without magic."

"Thank you," Link inclined his head to the old master. "But I had to become this strong."

"Indeed," Makarov nodded. "Would you care to share your story with me? I am most intrigued by your arrival and I'm sure you have questions for me as well."

Link looked at the old man for a moment before turning a quizzical eye towards Spryte. The fairy smiled and nodded in response. The young Hylian shrugged and then explained as much as he could to the Guild Master without delving into too personal or sensitive detail.

He explained how he grew up in the Lost Woods, the events that led him to leaving the forest, and the subsequent quest to defeat Ganondorf. He told of his struggles and the challenges he had to overcome as well as the battles he had to fight in order to succeed. His retelling of the final battle between him and the Gerudo King of Thieves held both Makarov and Spryte in silent rapture.

When he told them how Zelda sent him back in time and his partner, Navi, left him, Spryte began to silently cry. She knew how much the separation had hurt both of them.

Link then went on to tell how he eventually came to the decision to search for Navi and subsequently ended up on another adventure in the parallel world of Termina. Makarov raised an eyebrow at this and when Link explained how he had to relive the same three days over and over in order to accomplish everything that needed to be done.

Finally he recounted the events that led him to meeting Spryte and how they had both ended up being sucked into the sky by a giant vortex and ended up crashing through the guild roof.

When he finally finished his tale, Makarov could only shake his head in wonder.

"Incredible…that is a truly remarkable tale, my boy."

He believed every word of it of course. The detail and sincerity that Link had spoken with left no doubt to the truthfulness of his words and the story itself explained much. No wonder Link was so strong and possessed the deep eyes that he did. The young man had journeyed through time to save not just one, but two worlds from certain destruction; adventures that resulted in him gathering an impossible amount of experience. It wasn't just that he had been forced to mature faster than normal, his mind and his spirit were literally older than his physical body.

"Wow," Spryte spoke up, her voice filled with awe and admiration. "We fairies know a little bit about what you did…but I never expected the details of your life to be...to be…" She struggled to find an adequate description, but eventually gave up, "well, to be like that." She stared at him in silence for a moment before slowly drifting down to eye level to place a tender kiss on the end of his nose. "Thank you for saving our land. You are truly worthy of your title."

Link blushed lightly and reached for her, but the energetic fairy darted backwards and stuck out her tongue impishly. "And now you're stuck with me, which means: I get to be a part of your adventures!"

The young hero looked startled by the sudden reverse in demeanour but then he burst out laughing, "Yeah, I guess it does at that."

Makarov smiled at the two and waited for the laughter to die down before he cleared his throat.

"If you are feeling better, I'd like to show you something. Please follow me."

Link blinked in surprise but wasted no time in hopping out of the bed and following the elderly man out of the infirmary. The Guild Hall was empty and Makarov explained that everyone had gone home for the day, although he had to send a few of the ones who lingered around hoping to see Link when he woke up. Erza had been included in that number.

"There will be plenty of time for talking later. Right now I believe something else is more important."

Makarov led the two of them to the back of the Guild Hall and into a large, dark room. The Guild Master turned a knob by the door which caused several lanterns and mounted Light Lacrima to illuminate the area. Link's eyes widened in surprise when the light revealed walls lined with enormous shelves that stretched from the ground all the way to the several story high ceiling and were packed to the brim with hundreds and hundreds of books. It was an impressive sight that even left Spryte speechless.

"This is the Fairy Tail Guild Archives," Makarov explained as he walked down a set of stairs to the ground level. "All of Fairy Tail's records and knowledge is kept here, including books on magic. Only members of the Guild are allowed access to this room." The diminutive old man turned to face the young man following him, cupping his hands behind his back as he did so. "I'm sure you have many questions and things you wish to learn about this world and I will do my best to help you, but I believe you will find many of the answers you seek here."

Link eyed the thousands of books around him with no small amount of trepidation and Makarov couldn't help but chuckle at the young lad's expression. Deciding to give the boy a starting point, he extended one of his arms using magic and retrieved three books from various places around the room. He grinned when he saw Link gape at the minor display of his Titan Magic and presented the books to him.

"This will be a good place for you to start. The first book is a brief history of Earth Land with a more central focus on the Kingdom of Fiore, where we are currently located. The second book is an introduction to magic and its basics. I would highly recommend you read that one thoroughly as it will be an essential base for developing your own magical abilities. The last is a basic tome of Requip Magic. It is the same magic that Erza used to switch weapons during your fight. While you don't have to look at that one, I thought that as a swordsman it might interest you."

"Thank you," Link took the books presented to him with a smile and a bow of his head.

"If you need anything or have any questions that come up, do not hesitate to ask myself or anyone else in the guild," The master smiled at him. "I'm sure those young whelps would jump at the chance to show you their magic. Feel free to spend as much time as you would like here."

With that, the old man left Link and Spryte to their own devices and exited the archive room. Link strode over to a nearby table and carefully arranged the books he was given out in front of him.

"So where are you gonna start?" Spryte asked curiously as she bobbed in the air over the tomes.

Link sighed and scratched the back of his head. "As much as I would like to jump into learning about magic, it would probably be a good idea to learn more about this world in general, especially if we're going to be here for the foreseeable future."

"Hmmm…that would make sense," Spryte nodded in agreement.

Link reached for the history book and opened it up to the first page. He stared at the page for a moment and blinked. Then blinked again.

He couldn't read a single word of it.

"I can't make heads or tails of this," Link huffed in annoyance and tilted his head to his fairy friend. "Can you?"

Spryte stared at the text on the page for a moment, "I think so…" She squinted and tilted her head to the side, an action that made her look absolutely adorable but Link didn't comment on it. "It's a little fuzzy but it seems to clear up the longer I look at it."

Link gave a non-committal grunt and focused back on the writing. He tilted his head from side to side and scrunched up his eyes in an attempt to change how he looked at the text, but the words remained illegible to him. He was about to slam the book closed in frustration and find Makarov to address this unfortunate problem when, suddenly, a soft glow appeared on the back of his hand. Startled, both Link and Spryte gazed at Triforce symbol on his left hand in surprise. The bottom left triangle, the symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom, was emitting a soft golden light.

Link stared at it in wonder for a moment before he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his attention back to the open book. The words on the page appeared hazy and seemed to waver in his vision. He stared at the page in confusion as the words blurred more and more until they looked like nothing more than blobs of dark ink on the lighter paper. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision. Afterwards, he focused on the page once more and slowly, ever so slowly, the blobs spread back out into discernable letters. The young hero's jaw dropped when the words became fully visible once more.

He could understand them.

Link gazed sharply at his hand, then back to the page, then back to his hand.

"Oh!" Spryte exclaimed in surprise, making him snap his attention to her. "I can read it clearly now!"

Link snapped his attention to her in surprise while the young fairy, now standing near the top of the page with her back to him, hummed cheerfully and bent at the waist with her hands on her knees to examine the words.

He was really confused now.

Why had the mark on his hand allowed BOTH of them to read the book? He could understand if it was just him, seeing as how he bore the mark, but Spryte too? That just didn't make sense. He wracked his brain trying to come up with a reasonable explanation but after a while he gave up and let out a sigh. It was probably something he wouldn't be able to figure out on his own and so he chose to chalk it up as another gift from the Goddesses.

"So can I," Link told her and scratched the side of his head. "I guess that's one problem down. Now I suppose we should figure out exactly what we've gotten ourselves into."

With that the two of them spent several hours going over the history book together, discussing various topics as they went. It turned out that Spryte was a faster reader than Link was which gave her time to ponder the things they read while she waited for him to catch up. This led to some interesting debates between them as they tried to fully grasp and understand the history and structure of the world they now lived in. They learned much together.

Time drifted by without notice, neither of them stopping until late in the evening. Makarov allowed the two of them to spend a few nights at the Guild Hall while they studied until they felt comfortable enough to take a few jobs and earn some Jewels. He also made it quite clear to the other mages that they were not to disturb Link or Spryte for the time being unless either of them approached them first.

The two of them spent the next two nights going through the history book and Link marvelled at the things he learned about Earth Land. He had always loved listening to the stories recounted by the Great Deku Tree as a child and reading this book was similar; the fact that it was about a different world altogether made it even more appealing.

When they finally finished the book, Link leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs, and stretched out his arms with a deep sigh of satisfaction. His action caused several of his joints to crack and pop, adding to his relief. He massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb for a moment before tilting his chair back down to all fours.

"Quite the place, this Earth Land," He commented idly.

"Yeah," Spryte agreed. She was now sitting casually on the table, leaning back on her hands with her legs stretched out lazily in front. "But it seems like it could be fun. There's so much to see, do, and learn!"

Link laughed. The playful fairy was all about making the best of a situation.

"I think you may be right, at least the people we've met so far are interesting."

"That's putting it mildly," Spryte huffed, which made Link chuckle again before reaching out and picking up the tome on magic.

"Well, I suppose we should look at this one next, yeah?"

"Oh, good!" The young fairy fluttered up eagerly. "I've been waiting for this!"

Link smiled again at her enthusiasm and opened the book. It was smaller than the history book but he didn't doubt that it would take even longer to go through due to the nature of the content.

The book was fascinating. Link had never before imagined the full possibilities that magic entailed. Sure he had recognized its power, having fought a man capable of ripping a hole between dimensions, and even knew some magic himself, but he had never given full stock towards what it could do. His world had been a land rich with magic, a different type of magic, yes, but magic nonetheless. It was not uncommon to see from day to day, but the average person had only minor ability with it at best and used it for specific purposes.

Earth Land was different. This world had literally turned the use of magic into a way of life. While it was true that only about ten percent of the populace could use it actively and become wizards, magic was actively used in every home for even the most mundane things. Lacrima could be used to light houses, cook food, and even for entertainment. Other items could be charged with magic power from an outside source and then used by citizens at will for whatever purposes they desired.

Anything that required a much more active use of magic was where the mages came in. People could submit requests to a guild where an interested mage could take the job and deal with the issue directly. In this way the world had achieved an effective balance between wizards and ordinary people, with both sides providing services to each other.

Not only that but the different varieties of magic out there was absolutely staggering and boggled Link's mind. There seemed to be a type of magic for literally everything and with enough time and effort a mage could learn any type they wanted. The possibilities were endless.

Link leaned back in his chair once more. He had never given much stock into learning the magic of his world, not having the time to study it properly, and the spells he had learned, despite being powerful, were acquired in a rather unconventional way. If having the required knowledge magically implanted directly into your mind by Great Fairies could be called unconventional, that is. But the magic of this world intrigued him greatly. It wasn't just about studying and chanting long complicated incantations to invoke ancient powers. No, from what he had seen and read so far, a lot of the magic could be applied directly to active combat and that was right up the Hero of Time's alley. Not to mention the staggering physical benefits gained from being a combat wizard.

He knew that he possessed the capabilities to become one, Porlyusica had told him such and Makarov seemed to agree with her. The question now was what type of magic should he learn? From his past experience, Link didn't believe in limiting himself to one specialty. Part of what made him capable of the things he did was the ability to adapt to a situation and having the equipment necessary to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses. As such, he didn't want to limit himself to specializing in just one or two like most mages. Requip sounded like a definite starting point. It was similar to the magic belt pouch he used to store most of his gear, but seemed significantly superior. But what else?

He explained his concerns to Spryte and asked her opinion on the matter.

"Why don't we look around and see what other books we can find?" She suggested. "I'm sure there's a few things we could find that might interest you. If not, you can start with the Requip book for now and we can always ask the others to demonstrate their abilities and see if anything catches your eye."

"Alright," Link nodded his head and stood up to begin looking around but he paused when a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Spryte, are you going to try to learn any of this?"

"Of course!" the fairy replied with wide grin. "Magic is part of a fairy's essence and this new magic sounds awesome! I don't know if I'll be able to use any of it, but I'm sure as heck gonna try!"

Link laughed again. "Well in that case, let's also look around for stuff that interests you as well."

The two of them wandered around from shelf to shelf, examining the meticulously lined up books for anything that stood out to them. Spryte actively fluttered in every direction, even going up to the very top shelves now and then, occasionally pulling a book from its place and carrying it over to the table. Link had been surprised that she was able to pick up the books without too much difficulty despite them being larger than her. Apparently she was a lot stronger than she appeared, though she still struggled with the heavier tomes. Link couldn't help but laugh when he watched her strain to pull out a particularly large book from a higher shelf. The little fairy plummeted several feet with an adorable squeal of alarm when she finally managed to remove the heavy tome from the shelf. Luckily, Spryte was able to catch herself before she hit the ground. She hovered for a moment, beating her wings rapidly, and then slowly flew in rough bobbing path back to the table. When she finally reached it she dropped the book rather unceremoniously with a loud grunt of effort.

"Be careful," Link chided good naturedly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Spryte responded with a glare and an indignant huff before drifting back to the shelves. Link shook his head with a smile and turned his attention back to the books in front of him. He raised his left hand to finger the spine of one tome when he suddenly noticed the Triforce mark on his hand glowing softly again. This time the light came from the bottom right triangle, the symbol representing the Triforce of Courage. Link blinked in surprise once more and drew his hand back to inspect it more closely. However, as soon as he did so, the light faded. He stared at it in confusion for a moment before slowly extending his hand back out and watched in fascination as the symbol lit up once more. He held his hand out, intrigued by the sudden display, and shifted his hand to the left. The glow faded. He moved his hand back to the right and the glow increased. He ran his hand over the row of books and the glow brightened more and more the farther he went to the right. Finally, he reached the spine of one book and his hand flared up to an almost blinding level before fading away into nothing. Link blinked to clear his eyes of spots before staring at the spine of the book now under his hand. He examine the backing and saw a magic symbol with a sword in the center emblazoned in the middle. Link pulled the book from its place and looked at its cover. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Sword Magic?"

That definitely sounded useful. He glanced from the cover to the mark on the back of his hand. First the ability to use magic, then the knowledge to read and speak the language, and now a particular book of magic well suited to him? It seemed that something wanted him to be able to function in this world and was helping him along the way.

A spark of memory passed through his mind; the recollection of a lost dream.

_We will be your guides…_

He smiled. So, the Goddesses were with him still.

This revelation removed any doubts that Link may have still harboured over his predicament. If the Goddesses were showing him the way, then perhaps he was meant to come here after all.

Heartened by that knowledge, Link returned to his table, now adorned with a growing pile of books, and placed the book of Sword Magic next to the book on Requipping. As soon as he did, the symbol representing the Triforce of Power began to glow. Now understanding what it meant, Link smirked and raised his hand towards the shelves to seek out the next book.

He didn't know what magics the Goddesses would lead him towards, but they had made him into the ultimate warrior of his land. If they wanted him to be here now, then he was determined to become such in this world as well.

Thus Link, the Hero of Time, began his first night of study in the art of Earth Land's magic.

The first step on a path to greatness.

The first page in the beginning of a legend.

xxx

A/N: Alright, so Link is finally an official member of Fairy Tail and laying a foundation for his new life in Fiore. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter but to be honest, I'm a little unsatisfied with it. I felt like I tried to cram too much into one chapter and didn't really spend enough time developing areas I should have. I wanted to write more interactions between the other guild members, but I couldn't really figure out a way of doing it without bashing my face on the keyboard in frustration. Anything I tried just felt too forced. As it is I still feel like I copped out on several things I should have developed more.

Oh well, hopefully I can improve things a bit with the next chappie.

Once again I would like to iterate that Link does not possess the full Triforce. He doesn't even have the Triforce of Courage anymore. What he does have is a portion of the essence from all three Goddesses, which allows them a bit of influence in a world outside of their dominion and gives Link a few special gifts. I will expound upon this more in later chapters.

I hope I made the fights between Natsu and Erza believable and gave a proper indication of Link's current standing. In case there's any confusion, Erza is much stronger than Link is. He may have more experience but he can't compete with her full abilities if she chooses to use them, especially if he's not fighting to kill her. That being said, he is also capable of things that the others, Erza included, would not be able to do because he is so skilled and experienced. Not to worry though, he will get stronger and become even more awesome than he already is, he just has a little bit of work to do to get there.

I've also decided what types of magic he's going to learn. Definitely Requip and Sword Magic (obviously) but as for the others….not telling yet! I will say though that he will NOT learn Dragon Slayer Magic. I agree that it would be awesome if he did but unfortunately it's not in my grand design.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R/R!


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